Mark Anthony Walsh, 57, of Maidstone Drive, Marton, Middlesbrough, appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 2 May, where he pleaded guilty to burning waste at Thorpe Larches in Sedgefield.

He was fined £5,800, ordered to pay £2,000 in costs and a victim surcharge of £80.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Environment Agency, Simon Crowder told the court that on 5 December 2016, the Environment Agency received information from Durham County Council about possible waste burning taking place on land at Beechgrove at Thorpe Larches in Sedgefield.

The following day two Environment Agency enforcement officers went to the property and spoke to Walsh, who said he had been burning waste packing which he had produced as a result of renovations on his own property. They left information with Walsh about the Environment Agency role and powers but did not see any evidence of burning.

In February 2017, the council contacted the Environment Agency to say they had received further complaints about burning waste at the land.

In March 2017, they received further information about fires at the address and attended the scene on two occasions. During one of the visits they saw no one was present with the fire. The waste pile was estimated to measure 5m by 2.5m and contained partially burnt household items along with a plastic wheelie bin, tin cans, garden waste, waste paper, metal springs and household electrical items.

During interview on 4 May that year Walsh said he only burnt bedding from the pig sty. Paul Whitehill, from the Environment Agency in the North East, said:

The evidence, including images and visits by our enforcement officers, shows Walsh burning waste on his land illegally.

Environmental laws are there to protect the environment and community and Walsh deliberately flouted those laws, putting the environment at risk. I’d encourage people to report waste crime to us so that we can investigate and take any necessary action.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and former England cricketer and wildlife campaigner Kevin Pietersen have today (Friday 4 May) teamed up for a visit to see the important role Border Force plays in fighting the illegal wildlife trade at Heathrow Airport.

After receiving a briefing from illegal wildlife trade experts in the Border Force team, Mr Johnson and Mr Pietersen were shown confiscated items which people have tried to smuggle through customs and are now housed in Heathrow Airport’s ‘dead shed’.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

The illegal wildlife trade is a vile and loathsome crime with organised gangs and criminal scum at the very heart of it. Not only is it wiping out wildlife populations, it is also robbing communities of sustainable incomes and damaging economies across Africa and Asia, all for the senseless demand in live animals and wildlife products for trinkets and quack medicines.

Border Force is doing incredible work stopping these items from ending up on the black market here in the UK but more can and must be done on a global scale if we are going to stamp this crime out for good. That’s why we are bringing world leaders together for an international conference this autumn, to find a way to save our charismatic megafauna and endangered species before it is too late.

I applaud the work that Kevin and other wildlife campaigners are doing to raise awareness of the plight of endangered rhinos across Africa and Asia.

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen said:

Stopping the illegal wildlife trade is the only way we will save those endangered species which are on the brink of extinction.

In South Africa close to three rhinos are illegally killed every single day. It’s shameful that the world is just sitting back and watching as whole species are being wiped out.

I support the vital work going on by governments around the world to tackle this issue head on but we need action now to halt the demand for the illegal wildlife trade before we see species wiped out for good.

October’s conference will focus on tackling the illegal wildlife trade as a serious organised crime, building coalitions and closing illegal wildlife markets.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for waste operations, mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities. The arrangements are explained in its Public Participation Statement

These notices explain:

• what the application is about
• where you can visit to see the application documents
• when you need to comment by

The Environment Agency will decide:

• whether to grant or refuse the application
• what conditions to include in the permit (if granted)

Sixty flood wardens who volunteer to help protect people and their properties throughout the Calder Valley are being invited to an event to help them learn from each other.

Anyone who wants to get involved in supporting residents during a flood event, either as a flood warden or by volunteering for one of the charities or organisations which reduce flood risk in the community, can also come along to the event during the evening to find out how they can help.

Owners and employees from Calderdale businesses will also be welcome to drop in to get advice on how best to protect their premises from flooding.

The networking event, supported by the Environment Agency and Calderdale Council, will be held in the Waterfront Hall, at Hebden Bridge Town Hall, on Wednesday 23 May. It will be open to flood wardens between 5 – 6.30pm and to members of the local community between 6.30 -8.30pm.

There will be information stalls run by many organisations at the event including Yorkshire Water, Treesponsibility, Slow the Flow, Watermark Flood Fund and Community Foundation for Calderdale.

A team from the Environment Agency will be signing people up for their free flood warning service, providing information about flood defence schemes in the area and discussing what is included in the Calderdale Flood Action Plan.

Representatives from the Council’s emergency planning, flood and housing teams will also be on hand to share information on Calderdale’s multiagency flood response protocol, flood risk management strategy and role in recovery following serious flooding.

Jonathan Follows, Calderdale flood resilience officer with the Environment Agency, said:

This is the second time we have had an event of this kind in Calderdale.

Our flood wardens are invaluable to us as our eyes and ears on the ground. This is a great opportunity for them to share best practice so they can support each other.

They will have the chance to meet new people and learn more about the training opportunities and information that the Environment Agency can provide to help them in their role.

Katie Kimber, chair of the Calderdale Community Resilience Board, said:

We have eight flood groups throughout the Calder Valley and if anyone is interested in joining one as a flood warden or simply as a volunteer they can come along to our event and find out everything they need to know.

There will also be representatives from a wide range of voluntary and community groups who are keen to recruit new volunteers and will be happy to explain more about their projects.

Mark Thompson, director of Regeneration and Strategy at Calderdale Council, said:

We’re extremely grateful for the work our flood wardens do in helping to keep our communities as safe and informed as possible.

If you or someone else you know has been affected by flooding, Calderdale’s flood groups are a valuable support network that can offer you help and information before, during and after a flood.

This is a great chance to meet wardens in your area, find out more about what they do and discover some of the many ways in which you can get involved should you wish to do so.

As part of the event there will be information about resources available to flood wardens including handbooks and personal protective equipment; training on how to use the radio network to communicate with other wardens and using social media during a flood event, demonstrations on using sandbags and a chance to ask questions and raise any concerns.

The Environment Agency publish permits that they issue under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

This decision includes the permit and decision document for:

• Operator name: Europa Oil & Gas Limited
• Installation name: Crosby Warren Wellsite
• Permit number: EPR/GP3635MP/V003