Rogue scrap men found guilty in court

In a stark reminder to anyone who is considering collecting scrap without a licence, the pair will be forced to pay in excess of £700 each for failing to provide the relevant documentation when requested by City of Doncaster Council’s Enforcement Team.

Earlier this month, the following persons were both found guilty of collecting scrap metal without a licence with the view to sell the scrap:

• Alan Peers, of Truro Avenue, Intake, was stopped in the Wheatley area of the city carrying white goods, bicycles and other metals. He did not attend court but in his absence, he was proven to be guilty of breaching the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 [unlicenced collection of scrap with view to sale]. He was fined £220 and ordered to pay £404.38 in costs with a £88 victim surcharge. 
• Phillip Tuck, of Waterslack Road, Bircotes, was found guilty in court to be in breach of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 [unlicenced collection of scrap with view to sale]. For this he was fined £220 and ordered to pay £455.36 in costs with a £88 victim surcharge.

Councillor Joe Blackham, Portfolio Holder for Enforcement, said: “We hope the sentence sends a strong message that the collection of all types of scrap metal must be correctly licensed.  

“We need to support our legitimate licensed traders who are operating in accordance with the law.

“There is no excuse not to be licensed and the council will continue to investigate and prosecute businesses that operate illegally.”

Any people who are collecting scrap metal to register with the authority must obtain the relevant licence by clicking here: Scrap Metal Licensing - City of Doncaster Council

It is worth residents also bearing in mind, the S.C.R.A.P. code when organising for household waste to be removed as this will assist in employing the correct tradesmen.

S - Suspect all waste carriers; do not let them take your waste until they have proven themselves to be legitimate. A professional waste carrier should happily answer reasonable questions. 
C - Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency's website.
R - Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away. If you suspect that someone who you have spoken to will be disposing of waste illegally, report them to the Environment Agency.
A - Ask what will happen to your rubbish and seek evidence that it is going to be disposed of appropriately. 
P - Paperwork must be obtained: a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier’s contact details.

If you want more information or wish to make a report of incidents witnessed, please email: nuisance.team@doncaster.gov.uk