News / Crime
Waste collection firm set rubbish alight at historic manor house
An “unscrupulous” Bristol waste collector has been fined for setting rubbish alight at a historic manor house.
Mark Anthony Stephens, 59, of Barrowmead Drive in Lawrence Weston, said he used to visit Rangeworthy Court to relax and connect with “spirits” that he sensed were present there.
But in his branded Waste Bristol truck, Stephens would regularly arrive after dark at the site and tip waste within the car park of the former hotel, creating a bonfire and using an accelerant to set it alight.
is needed now More than ever
The weekly fires were often left to burn out unsupervised, with the heat causing the roof tiles on an adjacent barn to crack.
Stephens did not have permission from the owner of the land to carry out the activities and at Bristol Magistrates’ Court, he was ordered to pay a total of £15,228 in fines and costs after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted his company for waste offences.
Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “We want to send a clear message to anyone who fails in their duty of care for waste disposal in South Gloucestershire that they will be brought before the courts.
“This case saw an unscrupulous waste company ignore all of their legal responsibilities and set alight vast amounts of potentially harmful waste at the historic Rangeworthy Court.
“Our advice to residents, is to be wary of businesses or people advertising waste clearances on social media sites such as Facebook.
“There are a number of legitimate options for waste removal, including the council’s large household waste collection service.
“If you hire a third-party to dispose of your waste, always ask for a copy of the company’s waste carrier registration certificate and ask where the waste is being taken.
“Prosecutions like these protect our environment and create cleaner and safer places for our communities.”
Main photo: South Gloucestershire Council
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
