The owner of a haulage firm has been fined £25,000 after illegally depositing controlled waste.

Paul Elliott Butler, owner of Butler & Proctor, was told he put the environment at risk by failing to store waste metal, plastic and loft insulation properly at his yard.

Mr Butler was fined £15,000, £8,000 and £2,000 after he admitted three counts of contravening sections 33 and 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

He was also ordered to pay £5,000 compensation and £2,500 court costs at a hearing at Oxford Magistrates' Court on Friday.

The court heard Environment Agency officers visited Butler’s premises at The Old Forgecorr, in Checkendon, in November 2006 and found large piles of waste which were not stored properly.

Butler subsequently admitted no training had been given to his company’s drivers as to how to fill out Waste Transfer Notes and he had knowingly failed to ensure every load of waste was carried to a licensed site for proper disposal.

In January 2007, the agency’s officers found larger piles of waste than the first visit and discovered the ground of the yard was contaminated with oil.

The agency’s environment officer Ben Govan said: "By operating outside the law, Butler & Proctor put the environment at considerable risk, and also sought to gain a competitive advantage over legitimate waste businesses in the area.

"We will always take action against rogue operators to protect the environment and to ensure a level playing field for all waste businesses."