Illegal 10-tonne dump linked to jailed crime boss

An illegal waste mountain that taxpayers will have to foot the bill to remove is on the site of a former scrapyard belonging to a man who was jailed for being part of a £1m stolen goods operation.

The 10,000-tonne dump, at what was Tommy Smith's yard in Great Harwood, Lancashire, is one of a number around England being cleared up by the Environment Agency (EA).

Last year, a judge ordered the site, in Meadow Street, be closed for three months over repeated complaints about illegal waste collection and fires.

Smith, now in his late 40s, was jailed for six-and-a-half years in 2019 for handling stolen goods and money laundering.

The EA described the tip as one of the "worst illegal waste sites in the country".

The cost of clearing several such sites is expected to run into millions of pounds.

EA area manager for Cumbria and Lancashire, John Neville, said: "We welcome the commitment from the government to assess an illegal waste site in Hyndburn for clearance.

"The waste that's been dumped there has scarred the local community for a long time as well as impacting on the environment and undermining legitimate businesses.

"A criminal investigation, led by the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, is ongoing and we will look to hold those responsible to account."

Concerns about illegal waste at the yard had been raised several times before a judge ordered the site to temporarily close.

Previous enforcement orders at the site had failed to stop unlawful activity on the land, the BBC reported at the time.

A large-scale operation - including about 100 officials from the police, council, RSPCA and Environment Agency - began after the site was closed.

It had been previously shut down temporarily after being raided by police in 2017.

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said in 2019 that the site was a "nuisance that has blighted the community".

When he was sentenced, Smith was described by police as the "brazen" boss of a crime operation that handled stolen machinery, vehicles and clothing.

The BBC has attempted to contact Smith's wife and former business partner, Mary, for comment.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.