Devon fly-tipper who failed to clear waste in court for contempt

Press release

Fly-tipper Vitor Da Silva has been fined after he failed to clear illegally dumped waste from a field in Daccombe near Newton Abbot.

A large pile of dumped waste, including furniture and white goods

The waste included vehicles, furniture, white goods and gas bottles

Da Silva, 54, of Barton Road, Torquay, was given a conditional discharge for 12 months by Plymouth Magistrates last February. He had pleaded guilty to dumping waste without an environmental permit between January 2019 and August 2020. The conditional discharge would be breached if he failed to clear the site by the end of May 2022. And he was told to provide proof that the rubbish had been properly transferred to a legitimate site permitted to accept such waste.

Last Wednesday (14 September) Da Silva appeared before magistrates for contempt after he failed to clear the waste, which included vehicles, furniture, white goods and gas bottles, by the deadline. He was fined £100 and ordered to pay £80 costs after showing evidence that he has now cleared the waste.

Phil Butterworth of the Environment Agency said:

Da Silva had been given ample time to dispose of the waste to a properly licensed site. Sadly, he chose to ignore his responsibilities.

Unfortunately, anyone who used Da Silva’s services would have also failed in their duty of care to ensure a waste carrier has an environmental permit. By having proof that a person is licensed to remove waste, you can be sure your rubbish is properly disposed of.

At February’s hearing, Da Silva was also ordered to pay costs of £500 plus a £22 victim surcharge.

Da Silva pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly causing or knowingly permitting the carrying on of a waste operation on land at the junction of Downaway Lane and St Marychurch Road, Daccombe, Newton Abbot in respect of which no environmental permit was in force between 13 January 2019 and 18 August 2020, Contrary to regulations 38(1)(b) and 12(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

As part of the sentence, a Reg 44 Order was imposed requiring the site to be cleared of rubbish by 31 May 2022.

Published 20 September 2022



UK will match record Ukraine support in 2023

  • Prime Minister announces the UK will meet or exceed the amount of military aid spent on Ukraine in 2022 next year.
  • On a visit to the UN this week the PM will tell leaders that we must put an end to Putin’s economic blackmail by removing all energy dependence on Russia.
  • Visit to the UN General Assembly in New York comes as Ukraine continues to make unprecedented military gains against Russia.

Prime Minister Liz Truss will use her visit to New York this week to solidify the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s security and territorial integrity, with the announcement that the UK will match or exceed our record 2022 military support to Ukraine next year.

In the last two weeks the world has witnessed a significant moment in the war in Ukraine, with territory in the east of the country liberated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Prime Minister will point to this success as evidence of what the Ukrainian people can do with the backing of fellow democracies.

The Prime Minister will use her speech to the UN General Assembly on Thursday to underscore the UK’s long-term commitment to Ukraine, with no let up in our military, humanitarian and political support to the country.

The UK is already the second largest military donor to Ukraine, committing £2.3bn in 2022. We have trained 27,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2015, and in the last year we have provided hundreds of rockets, five air defence systems, 120 armoured vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of non-lethal military equipment.

Last week saw the largest commercial road move of ammunition since the Second World War as tens of thousands more rounds of UK-donated artillery ammunition went to the front lines in Ukraine.

The precise nature of UK military support in 2023 will be determined based on the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, it is expected to include equipment like the Multiple Launch Rocket System, provided to Ukraine by the UK and others, which has been decisive in allowing Ukraine to re-gain over 3,000 square kilometres of territory in recent days.

The Prime Minister said:

Ukraine’s victories in recent weeks have been inspirational. Time and time again these brave people have defied the doubters and showed what they can do when given the military, economic and political support they need.

My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the UK will continue to be right behind you every step of the way. Your security is our security.

As Putin struggles to maintain his hold in eastern Ukraine, he is using Russia’s grip on European energy supplies to economically blackmail the people of Europe. Earlier this month Russia again closed off the Nord Stream Pipeline. Driven by Russian threats and restrictions on supply, the world has seen a spike in energy and food prices in recent months.

The Prime Minister will use her meetings with fellow leaders and CEOs in New York to catalyse global efforts to stop Russia from profiting off its energy exports while ending energy dependence on authoritarian regimes.

The Prime Minister said:

By turning off the taps of Nord Stream gas pipeline, Putin has consigned millions of people in Europe to a colder and more difficult winter.

Too many lives – in Ukraine, in Europe and around the world – are being manipulated by a dependence on Russian energy. We need to work together to end this once and for all.

In her first week in office, the Prime Minister took comprehensive action to help the people of the UK struggling with the cost of living as a result of global headwinds caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine and the aftermath of Covid.

This included the creation of a new Energy Supply Taskforce which is working with international gas suppliers to increase the global supply and reduce the price of gas.

The UK is also speeding up our deployment of clean and renewable technologies including hydrogen, solar, carbon capture and storage, and wind – where the UK is already a world-leader in offshore generation.



PM meetings with foreign leaders: 17 and 18 September 2022

News story

Prime Minister Liz Truss carried out a number of engagements with world leaders this weekend.

The Prime Minister Liz Truss carried out a number of engagements with world leaders this weekend [17th and 18th September 2022].

These meetings and calls were an opportunity for the Prime Minister and key leaders to reflect on the life and important global role of Her Majesty The Queen, and to reaffirm the strength of our diplomatic relationships.

The list is as below:

Saturday 17th September at Chevening: 

  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia [in person]
  • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand [in person]
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates [phone call] 

Sunday 18th September at No 10 Downing Street:

  • Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin [in person]
  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada [in person]
  • President Andrzej Duda of Poland [in person]

Published 18 September 2022



Two-minute silence to mark the death of Her Majesty The Queen

News story

National silence to take place on Monday, 19 September

Image of Westminster Abbey

There will be a two-minute silence at the end of the State Funeral service on Monday, 19 September. This will be at approximately 11:55am.

To pay our respects to Her Majesty The Queen this silence will be observed in all UK government buildings. Devolved administrations will issue instructions in their estates and others as necessary.

Local authorities, businesses, organisations and individuals may choose to join us in observing this silence.

They are also encouraged to join in the National Moment of Reflection on the evening of Sunday 18 September to reflect on the Queen’s life and legacy.

The Moment of Reflection will be marked with a one-minute silence at 8pm.

Further information

Published 18 September 2022



Plans for public to watch Her Majesty The Queen’s funeral announced

  • Opportunity for public to line routes in London and Windsor for The Queen’s final journey
  • Big screens will be put up across the country for people to watch the ceremony
  • The funeral, on Monday 19 September, will also be broadcast live on BBC, Sky and ITV
  • National Moment of Reflection will be held on Sunday 18 September

The funeral takes place on the morning of Monday 19 September alongside processions in London and Windsor, with public viewing areas and big screens in both locations.

Across the country big screens will be put up, including in London’s Hyde Park, Sheffield’s Cathedral Square, Birmingham’s Centenary Square, Carlisle’s Bitts Park, Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park and Coleraine Town Hall in Northern Ireland. Cinemas across the UK are also opening their screens to show the funeral – bringing together local communities to commemorate.

The funeral service and processions will be shown live on BBC One, ITV and Sky for those who wish to watch at home.

At 10.44am, The Queen’s coffin will be moved from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. Two thousand guests are expected to attend the service, which will begin at 11am and followed by a national two-minute silence at 11.55am.

A public procession will begin at 12.15pm as Her Majesty’s coffin travels from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London.

The procession, which will proceed in seven groups and be supported by a service band, will travel along Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Constitution Hill and end at London’s Wellington Arch.

Space dedicated for those with accessibility requirements is available at the Green Park side of The Mall and the St James’s Park side of The Mall. The Albert Memorial viewing areas will have British Sign Language interpreters and a hearing loop.

Her Majesty’s coffin will then be carried from Wellington Arch by the State Hearse to Windsor where The Queen will be laid to rest.

The hearse is due to arrive in Albert Road and, at 3.10pm, it will travel in procession along Albert Road and the Long Walk before arriving to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle ahead of the committal service, where The Queen will buried next to the Duke of Edinburgh, which is not open to the public.

There are a limited number of public viewing areas on The Long Walk, including a number of viewing spaces for those with accessibility needs, and there will be big screens for people to watch the services and procession from London.

Those wishing to line the processional route are encouraged to plan ahead and prepare for delays to travel.

A National Moment of Reflection will take place at 8pm on Sunday 18 September. Community groups, clubs and other organisations, as well as people at home are being encouraged to mark this moment in the form of a one-minute silence.

ENDS

  • Sky News will provide full live coverage for free on Sky News, the Sky News App and on the Sky News YouTube channel, including a special programme starting at 9am from Westminster Abbey.
  • ITV will broadcast the service and procession live as part of a special programme with a documentary film broadcast at 7.30pm and a special programme at 9pm.
  • The BBC will be providing full coverage of The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen across television, radio, iPlayer and BBC Sounds. A special programme will be on air from 0800-1700 on BBC One, BBC Two and iPlayer with BSL signed coverage on BBC Two.
  • British Sign Language Interpreters and on captioning will be on screen in Hyde Park. Hearing loops are available.

Details of local events and screenings of The Queen’s funeral can be found on gov.uk here. Events include:

  • Bedford: Bedford Borough Council will hold a public screening of the funeral at Bedford Corn Exchange.
  • Birmingham: The funeral will be shown on a big screen in Centenary Square.
  • Bradford: Bradford Cathedral will show the funeral.
  • Chester: Church services will take place on various dates across Chester, including at Chester Cathedral, Neston Parish, St Thomas Ellesmere Port and St Chad’s Winsford.
  • Coventry: The funeral will be shown on a big screen in University Square.
  • Exeter: The funeral will be screened at Northernhay Gardens, at Exeter City Football Club and at the Conference Centre at Sandy Park.
  • Leeds: Big screens will be put up in Millennium Square.
  • Litchfield: Lichfield Cathedral will hold a service of commemoration at 3.30pm on Sunday 18 September.
  • Liverpool: A service of remembrance will take place at Liverpool Cathedral at 3pm on Sunday 18 September.
  • Manchester: Manchester Cathedral will broadcast the funeral service on big screens.
  • Newcastle upon Tyne: Big screens in Old Eldon Square will show the funeral service.