Exeter boss caught secretly hiding illegal waste in trees, polluting a river, is slapped with a suspended jail sentence

An Exeter sweeper hire boss caught secretly trying to hide tons of illegal waste, polluting a river, has been slapped with a suspended jail sentence.

Philip Liley, of Sidmouth Road, Exeter, last week appeared at Exeter Crown Court and admitted failing to hold legal environmental documents when he was director of a firm called Sweeper Hire and Hoses Limited, based at Higher Brocks Plantation, Heathfield, Newton Abbot, Devon.

Liley, who pleaded guilty, was jailed for 15 months, suspended for two years, and must carry out 300 hours of unpaid work after the court heard he tried to disguise 15,000 tons of illegal waste in trees and spread over land, which polluted the River Bovey.

Chris Lawson of the Environment Agency, said: “Environmental permits are in place to protect the public and the environment.

“Illegal waste activity such as this undermines legitimate businesses that work hard to operate within the regulations, as well as putting the local environment at risk and impacting on the local community.”

He added: “I hope the verdict sends a clear message to illegal waste operators that we are committed to tackling the blight of waste crime and will use all powers available to us to catch offenders.”

Liley’s actions were uncovered in March 2023 by the Environment Agency (EA) after it was called to investigate a report a stream into the River Bovey was polluted.

Environment Agency officers checking the polluted tributary found a pipe discharging a grey-brown liquid into the watercourse.

A spokesperson for the EA said: “The source of the discharge was found to be Liley’s site that he leased at Newton Abbot.

“The ground at the site was churned up and with heavy plant machinery operating on it, causing the runoff to enter the river.”

Officers discovered the site was being leased by a company called Sweeper Hire and Hoses Limited, where Liley was the director.

A sub-contractor working at the premises revealed how around 15,000 tonnes of ‘inert’ waste had been brought onto the site, which was being levelled out over the ground. The groundworks halted immediately in a bid to limit damage to the local environment.

Further investigations found Liley did not have permission legally, or from the landowner, to dispose of waste at the site.

The EA said Liley made no effort to make his waste disposal business operate legally.

When officers visited the site, they found Liley had tried to hide the waste in surrounding trees, and by spreading it over the ground.

He was quizzed by agency officers but refused to be interviewed or answer any questions about his business.

An EA spokesperson said: “The Environment Agency was informed by a sub-contractor working on the site that approximately 15,000 tonnes of inert waste had been imported onto the premises.

“Groundworks at the site were stopped immediately to limit harm to the local environment.

“Investigations revealed the site was being leased by a company called Sweeper Hire and Hoses Limited.

“There were no environmental permits or exemptions covering the waste activities ongoing at the site. Neither were there any outstanding planning permission applications.

“During an Environment Agency site inspection, a substantial amount of waste material was present onsite.

“It appeared that it was being hidden by being pushed and deposited into the trees both at the sides of the premises and in the middle.

“Work also appeared to be ongoing to level the waste across the site.”

The Environment Agency immediately ordered the company to handover documents for all its imports to the site over the previous two years.

Liley’s paperwork showed at least 2,960 tonnes had been dumped at the site between May 2022 and February 2023.

The EA spokesperson said: “The same day, the Environment Agency served a notice requiring the company to produce waste transfer notes for waste imported to the site over the previous two years.

“Liley had originally leased the land for five years from September 2021, trading as Sweepers and Hoses Limited.

“However, due to issues with the various waste issues at the premises, Liley had been given notice to leave the site by the landowner he leased it from.

“From the waste transfer notes provided, a minimum of 2,960 tonnes in total had been imported to the site between 18 May 2022 and 3 February 2023.”

The spokesperson added: “Liley resigned as director of the business on 1 March 2023 and refused all attempts by the Environment Agency to be interviewed to explain his actions and the legitimacy of his waste business.”

Liley appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Thursday, July 3, where he pleaded guilty to running a waste disposal business for up to two years without the relevant environmental permits, between the end of September 2021 and mid-September 2023.