Car breaker fined for illegal site

Car breaker and exporter Adel Elkabir has been fined £5,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £3,996 by Deputy District Judge Roscoe today for running an illegal site in Fengate, Peterborough. Elkabir started operating from the site without an Environmental Permit despite advice from the Environment Agency, which brought the prosecution.

The court heard the permit, which was approved in April 2013, requires pollutants, such as batteries, engine and gear box oils, to be removed from vehicles prior to dismantling in accordance with the Environmental Permitting Regulations.

Elkabir admitted running the business illegally at First Drove where vehicles were stored, treated and  some parts exported to Egypt.

He claimed he had taken them somewhere else to be depolluted but a thorough inspection of vehicles stored at the site revealed that no depollution had taken place.

“He was advised several times by Agency officers that he could only carry out the work with an appropriate environmental permit but he failed to respond to the advice,” said Mrs Anne-Lise McDonald, prosecuting.

She said advice and an explanation of how to apply for a permit had been given to Elkabir before he started the business.

Mr Gurjit Bdesha, solicitor for the defence said in mitigation that Elkabir had contacted the Environment Agency and had obtained a permit in April 2013.

After the hearing, Environment Agency office Adam Shamma said: “It was clear that significant amounts of waste had been brought onto the site, dismantled, stored and sorted.

“When a business operates without a permit it puts the environment at risk. It is also able to unfairly undercut legal competitors.

“We offer guidance and advice to people wanting to work in the waste business to help them ensure they do not break the law but they need to follow that advice before starting work.”

Elkabir started operating from the site without an Environmental Permit despite advice from the Environment Agency, which brought the prosecution.

The court heard the permit, which was approved in April 2013, requires pollutants, such as batteries, engine and gear box oils, to be removed from vehicles prior to dismantling in accordance with the Environmental Permitting Regulations.

Elkabir admitted running the business illegally at First Drove where vehicles were stored, treated and  some parts exported to Egypt.

He claimed he had taken them somewhere else to be depolluted but a thorough inspection of vehicles stored at the site revealed that no depollution had taken place.

“He was advised several times by Agency officers that he could only carry out the work with an appropriate environmental permit but he failed to respond to the advice,” said Mrs Anne-Lise McDonald, prosecuting.

She said advice and an explanation of how to apply for a permit had been given to Elkabir before he started the business.

Mr Gurjit Bdesha, solicitor for the defence said in mitigation that Elkabir had contacted the Environment Agency and had obtained a permit in April 2013.

After the hearing, Environment Agency office Adam Shamma said: “It was clear that significant amounts of waste had been brought onto the site, dismantled, stored and sorted.

“When a business operates without a permit it puts the environment at risk. It is also able to unfairly undercut legal competitors.

“We offer guidance and advice to people wanting to work in the waste business to help them ensure they do not break the law but they need to follow that advice before starting work.”