Illegal tipping gang made £500,000 after dumping 11,000 tonnes of rubbish in leafy village

The operation exposed local residents to toxic fumes as the waste was regularly burned and buried on the site, which is roughly the size of a football pitch.

Officials estimate the clean-up costs will reach £1.2million.

The Environment Agency, working alongside Lincolnshire Police, conducted a raid in April 2020 which led to arrests and subsequent legal proceedings.

The illegal operation involved lorry-loads of shredded waste being regularly transported to the site. This waste was then burned and buried daily.

Judge Coupland condemned the defendants for putting locals at risk from toxic fumes. He stated that the offences had been deliberately concealed through falsified paperwork.

The judge deemed the offending to have caused harm of the "highest level". He cited the repeated nature of the crimes and the financial gain as aggravating factors.

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Leigh Edlin, the Environment Agency's area director, described it as "a serious illegal waste site which was highly organised and involved multiple offenders".

The legal proceedings involved 13 defendants, with 10 pleading guilty and three found guilty after an eight-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court. Sentencing took place on October 18.

The Canner family, who ran the illegal site, received significant prison terms. Paul Canner, 53, was sentenced to 26 months, while his wife Judith, 55, and son Joshua, 29, each received 16-month sentences.

Other defendants, including Sonia Surpal, Luke Woodward, Peter Wainwright, and Nathan Jones, were given prison sentences ranging from 11 to 16 months for their roles in depositing or disposing of waste at the site.

Marcus Chapman and Daniel Lippitt also received suspended sentences of 12 and nine months respectively.

Two landowners, James Baggaley, 38, and Marc Greenfield, 46, who knowingly permitted the operation of the illegal waste site, are set to be sentenced on December 16.

Robert Malone, 41, and Fletcher Plant Limited were found guilty of failing to comply with the waste duty of care. Their sentencing will also take place at a later date.

The Environment Agency's Leigh Edlin emphasised the impact of the illegal operation, stating: "Those involved sought to profit from Covid restrictions at the cost of the environment and by inflicting misery on the local community."

He added that the site and its operators had a significant impact on legitimate businesses and regulatory work.

Edlin assured that enforcement teams would continue to tackle serious illegal waste crime through partnerships with local authorities and emergency services.