Burnley farmer faces £1,000 fine for illegal burning

A farmer in Burnley has been ordered to pay more than £1,000 after Burnley Council took legal action to stop the illegal burning of waste materials.

Patrick Laverty, of Copy Wood Farm, pleaded guilty at Burnley Magistrates’ Court to three charges of failing to comply with a council abatement notice to prevent nuisance arising from the burning of waste at the farm.

The court heard that plastics, tyres, carpets and mattresses, as well as wood and kitchen worktops, were among the materials burned at the site, causing a nuisance and environmental impact on the surrounding area.

The fires created acrid smoke that could be smelt some distance away.