Success for Environment Agency with illegal waste site probe
An Environment Agency investigation into a large illegal waste site in Lincolnshire has resulted in several convictions and large donations to charity.
A fire at Hook Cliff Farm.
- Huge amounts of illegal waste imported onto farm
- 3 men and a firm brought to justice
- Nearly £100,000 to go to environment charity
Two men have been given suspended prison sentences while a third was given a conditional discharge for 2 years and a criminal behaviour order. A company was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,500.
In addition, the Environment Agency accepted Enforcement Undertakings (EUs) from 3 companies which had made regular deposits of unpermitted construction and demolition waste without carrying out due diligence checks.
This resulted in £98,000 going to environmental charities.
Waste of all types found at farm
The latest hearing was held at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 10 December 2025.
Reporting on the case had been delayed until all parties involved had been dealt with.
Investigating officers seized closed circuit TV footage to assess the waste stored at Hook Cliff Farm, Gonerby Moor, near Grantham.
Waste was found on site including hazardous motor vehicle waste plus mixed household and commercial waste.
The site is also estimated to have imported some 27,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste.
Peter Stark, Enforcement Team Leader for Environment Agency in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire Area, said:
Illegal waste crime scars our communities and is something we’re committed to tackling together with local councils and the police. Together we’re pulling every lever available to us to disrupt those who profit from the harm illegal waste sites cause.
Anyone, including contractors, farmers and landowners should make their own due diligence checks and with the Environment Agency before and during waste business operations.
This is to ensure they do not breach the duty of care as outlined in our guidance and the Environment Protection Act 1990.
If it sounds too good to be true, it may be illegal, the duty of care is legally binding and must be followed. We continue to work with Lincolnshire Police to tackle sites like this.
If people suspect illegal waste operations are taking place they should call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 807060 or Crimestoppers on 08000 555111.
Defendants
Anthony Critchley, 61, of Hook Cliff Farm, Gonerby Moor, Lincolnshire, admitted running a waste site without the necessary environmental permits. He also admitted disposing of waste in a manner likely to cause environmental pollution through burning the waste.
He was given a prison sentence of 6 months suspended for 12 months and ordered to clear the site of all unpermitted waste, including bonfire residue, by 14 August 2026.
Kaspars Runkauskis, 31, of Rycroft Street, Grantham, admitted operating an unpermitted vehicle breaking business on part of the farm with Critchley’s knowledge. He was given a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.
Darren Priestley, 59, of Grange Road, Newark, who operated Budget Skips Limited, admitted failing to take reasonable measures to prevent unpermitted deposits of waste. He received a conditional discharge for 2 years and a criminal behaviour order.
Laffeys Ltd of Broad Fen Lane, Claypole, Newark, Nottinghamshire was fined £3,000 and told to pay costs of £1,500. Laffeys Ltd had made regular deposits of unpermitted construction and demolition waste at the site without compliance with its duty of care.
Entering a guilty plea, Laffeys accepted that it had not had the correct procedures in place.
Enforcement Undertakings
Bowring Transport Ltd of Forest Road, Warsop, Nottinghamshire. Enforcement Undertaking accepted including a donation of £60,000 to an environmental charity.
Earthborn Transport Ltd of Rectory Road, West Bridgford. Enforcement Undertaking accepted including a donation of £12,000 to an environmental charity.
Construction and Environmental Services Ltd of East Street, St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Enforcement Undertaking accepted including a donation of £26,000 to an environmental charity.
Drone uncovers illegal waste operation at farm
Big plumes of smoke from fire.
Footage from drone flights captured images of an active waste site including skip lorries and a grabber machine feeding the fire with waste over several hours.
On 13 April 2022, a court warrant was executed with the support of Lincolnshire Police officers and an unannounced inspection of the farm was conducted.
The warrant enabled the investigation to obtain hours of CCTV footage and dozens of invoices and waste documentation which they subjected to painstaking analysis.
The visit on 13 April also brought an exchange between Environment Agency officers and the landowner.
When he was asked for his paperwork, he said he was not very good at paperwork and added ‘I take in lorry loads of s**t, hardcore on the cheap and that’s how I survive’.
During that visit, several vehicles were intercepted arriving on site, loaded with waste. A burn site was also discovered and there was evidence of mixed waste being burned.
Officers also saw that some of the farm’s cattle were living amongst the waste and that a feeder machine was being used.
The court heard that by operating without a permit, Critchley had avoided permitting fees, taxes and infrastructure costs to the tune of over £500,000.
His case was adjourned to September 2026 for a hearing to deal with the recovery of the Proceeds of Crime and the recovery of prosecution costs.
In his sentencing remarks, Recorder Hardy KC, said: “Over a period of years, you operated a waste disposal business on your farm which was unregulated and offended environmental laws. That’s our environment, everyone’s environment.”
The charges
Anthony Critchley
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Between 1 July 2019 and 30 April 2022 at Hook Cliff Farm, Gonerby Moor, operated a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of mixed household and commercial waste. Except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit contrary to Regulations 12 (1) and 38 (1) (a) of the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016.
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Between 1 July 2019 and 30 April 2022 at Hook Cliff Farm, Gonerby Moor, did dispose of controlled waste, namely mixed household and commercial waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the Environment or harm to human health. Contrary to Section 33(1)(c) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Darren Priestley
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Between 14 April 2021 and 13 April 2022, Budget Skips Ltd failed to comply with the duty of care imposed by section 34(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
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In that, being a person that produces controlled waste, namely, a quantity of mixed household and construction waste, it failed to take all such measures as were reasonable in the circumstances to prevent any contravention by any other person of section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
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That offence was committed with the consent or connivance or attributable to the neglect of Darren Priestley, a Director of Budget Skips Ltd, contrary to section 34(1)(a) and (6) and section 157(1) Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Kaspars Runkauskis
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Between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022 at Hook Cliff Farm, Gonerby Moor, operated a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of end-of-life vehicles, scrap metals and mixed waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit. Contrary to Regulations 12 (1) and 38 (1 )(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016.
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Between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022 at Hook Cliff Farm, Gonerby Moor, did keep controlled waste, namely end-of-life vehicles, scrap metals and mixed waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the Environment or harm to human health. Contrary to Section 33 (1) (c) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Laffeys Ltd of Broad Fen Lane
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Laffeys Ltd of Broad Fen Lane, Claypole, Newark, Notts. Fined £3,000 and costs of £1500.
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Between 11 July 2019 and 14 April 2022 you failed to comply with the duty of care imposed by section 34 (1) (c) (ii) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This being a person that disposes of controlled waste, namely, a quantity of construction and demolition waste, did fail to take such measures as were reasonable in the circumstances to secure that, on transfer of the waste, that there was such a written description of the waste as to enable other persons to avoid any contravention of section 33 contrary to section 34 (1) (c) (ii) and (6) Environmental Protection Act 1990.
What is an Enforcement Undertaking?
An Enforcement Undertaking is available to the Environment Agency as an alternative sanction to prosecution or fine for certain environmental offences.
It is a legal agreement proposed by a business (or an individual) when the Environment Agency has reasonable grounds to suspect that an environmental offence has occurred. Enforcement Undertakings for environmental offences were first introduced under the Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010 and the Environmental Civil Sanctions (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2010.
But have since been made available for other environmental offences, including under the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
Accepting an Enforcement Undertaking is always at the discretion of the Environment Agency.
EUs can be offered for offences including polluting rivers, breaching permit conditions designed to protect communities, or failing to register and comply with recycling/recovery obligations.
The Environment Agency then carefully considers whether the actions offered by the offender are acceptable.