FINES have been given to two scrap metal dealers for dumping waste in industrial estate

Two unlicensed scrap metal dealers have been prosecuted by Test Valley Borough Council after dumping household rubbish at Romsey’s Abbey Park Industrial Estate in the middle of the night.

Kirsty Anderson and Max Stevenson operate MK Metals as a partnership, advertising scrap metal collection and disposing of other waste.However, they were caught in December last year entering the industrial estate just after midnight, searching commercial bins, removing items, and making a number of trips to deposit other waste within them.

The waste included duvets, clothes, DVD cases and other household items.

Despite their advertising of their services, the company was operating without a scrap metal dealer’s licence.

Enquiries to the local scrap metal yard showed that even without a licence, MK Metals had visited regularly, receiving more than £40,000 during the pandemic between March 2020 and the same month in 2021.

Despite this, the defence stated that due to the market, there was a sizeable drop in the money being earnt.

Kirsty Anderson, 25, or St Boniface Court in North Baddesley, admitted fly-tipping and was fined £800, made to pay £225 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Max Stevenson, 27, of Shirley Road, Southampton, admitted fly-tipping and operating without a scrap metal dealer’s licence. He was fined £1,300, ordered to pay £225 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Environmental portfolio holder, councillor Alison Johnston, said: “This is a deliberate, negligent act where two people, operating as a company, entered an industrial estate in the middle of the night, and simply dumped their waste that they had been paid to collect.

“I’m pleased that they had their day in court facing up to what they have done, and hopefully now they will learn that there is a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping. Anyone who is using a waste carrier should check that they are licensed to do so, via the environment agency website.”