THE DIRECTOR of a wood recycling company that was fined £15,000 after storing mountains of dangerous wood will now pay back a fraction of the costs.

In January, earlier this year, the Environment Agency told Oxford Magistrates' Court that Red Jon Ltd had held an estimated 1,790 tonnes of wood at the site in Pytron, near Watlington, but no more than 500 tonnes of wood is allowed to be kept in one place in any seven-day period.

As a result of breaking the rules, and because the large mountains of wood posed a huge fire risk to the nearby area, company director Patrick Cassidy was slapped with a hefty fine.

He was ordered to pay £860 and had to pick up the costs for the company, which was fined £15,000.

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The two were ordered to share the costs of £28,000, Cassidy also paying a victim surcharge of £86.

Cassidy was also banned from similar roles indefinitely after the investigations found the company was storing nearly four times as much waste allowed by law.

At Oxford Crown Court on March 6, Cassidy appeared back in court to appeal that sentence in front of Judge Daly – who heard the case for the first time.

Explaining the reasoning behind the large fine and the costs – which were being appealed – the environment officer said that removal costs had been factored in.

Julia Leigh, the senior environmental crime officer for the Environment Agency in Oxfordshire said it would have cost between £71,000 and £107,400 to get rid of the wood.

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She also told the judge that the fine had been dished out after many warnings, and that the environmental agency has the main role of being a regulator.

Previously the court had heard that the mountains of wood posed a significant fire risk to the area, which included two schools, residential properties and a park.

The company would have been paid to turn processed wood sent in from other places into shredded wood – which could then be used for other things.

Ms Leigh also explained: “I visited the site on numerous occasions, explaining which activities were and weren’t allowed, but Red Jon were not able to make sufficient changes to comply with the law and reduce the risk to the environment and the local community.

“Waste crime can undermine legitimate businesses.

“The Environment Agency works closely with businesses to help them comply with the law. In cases like this, where individuals consistently operate illegally, we have no hesitation in prosecuting them, as we want to make sure waste crime doesn’t pay.”

Judge Daly granted the appeal from Cassidy.

His disqualification as changed from indefinitely to five years and the cost fee was reduced from £28,000 to £1,500.

The fine is still the same, and Cassidy will pay £860.

The company must also pay £15,000.

Cassidy has been ordered to pay back £100 a month.