Father and son jailed for flytipping hundreds of tonnes of waste material

Robert and Matthew Bilsby, of Cackle Street, were sentenced to ten months each for the illegal dumping of waste, some of it hazardous, at an address in Brett Drive, Bexhill.

The pair provided an illegal waste disposal service to members of the public and dumped skips of rubbish, including asbestos, without permission or the correct environmental controls and permits.

Robert, 73, and Matthew, 43, carried out the offences between May 2011 and June 2012. They were due to be committed to crown court last November, but fled to Cyprus. When they returned to the country at Christmas, they were arrested and held in remand pending trial.

The Bilsbys began carrying out their illegal dumping operation while still on licence following their conviction for a similar offence - between 2007 and 2009 they unlawfully dumped and burned enormous piles of waste at a rural location in Westfield.

They were caught by Rother District Council and each jailed for eight months. They began their new crimes almost immediately after their early release.

The court heard the Bilsbys tipped more than 213 tonnes of rubbish in the yard at the Brett Drive industrial estate, which is close to houses, including; asbestos, building waste, nappies, domestic waste, toiletries, DVDs, wood, clothes and tyres. They advertised locally as a cheap soil and rubble removal service, but were willing to take any waste.

Rother launched an 18 month investigation. During this time, the Bilsbys wrote to their MP complaining of council harassment and maintained their innocence with RDC.

The pair pleaded guilty at a hearing last month. On Monday Judge Charles Kemp, at Lewes Crown Court, jailed them for ten months each.

RDC will use the Proceeds of Crime Act to cover legal costs and pay for the clean-up of the site.

Rother chief executive Derek Stevens said: “We have sent a very strong statement to anybody who tries to dump waste in Rother. This council simply won’t stand for it and we have the courage and tenacity to chase prosecutions.

“Full credit goes to our environmental enforcement team who stuck to their guns and brought these criminals to justice.”