This is the moment a van owned by a man who was going around Bristol illegally collecting waste was crushed after he pleaded guilty in court. Nathan Daniels, from Inns Court in South Bristol, pleaded guilty to collecting rubbish from properties without having a waste carriers’ licence when he appeared before Bristol Magistrates Court on February 17.
Council prosecutors told the court Daniels had picked up waste from properties in the Filwood area of South Bristol. A van owned by Daniels was later seen to have been involved in fly-tipping waste in Inns Court and Lawrence Weston, the court heard.
The van was seized by council investigators on March 20 last year. The vehicle was searched and seized by the waste enforcers who suspected it had been transporting controlled waste. Because it wasn’t claimed by the owner, it was crushed in June last year.
Daniels denied fly tipping the waste, but pleaded guilty to collecting the waste from properties without a waste carriers’ licence. He was fined £320, and also ordered to pay costs of £152 and a victim surcharge of £128 – giving a total of £600.
Cllr Stephen Williams, chairman of the committee in charge of waste regulations, said the case should be a warning to rogue waste carriers that they face losing their vehicle as well as being fined for handling or dumping waste. The council seized four vehicles in similar circumstances during 2024.
“Fly-tippers, fraudulent waste carriers and any others trying to make a quick profit by illegally carrying and dumping waste in our communities are being given a clear warning,” he said. “We have the legal powers to investigate the mess you create, we have the authority to seize your vehicles if required and we will prosecute every case we can.
“We’re investing in our monitoring and investigation capabilities and will have no hesitation to act on any information received that identifies someone as acting illegally.” Cllr Williams said people who arrange for a person with a van to collect their waste should always check they have a licence to pick it up.
“We all have a responsibility to ensure that we’re clearing our waste in an appropriate and legal fashion,” he said. “Sadly there are a number of unethical operators who are prepared to prey on people’s desire to do the right thing to have their waste disposed of correctly.
“We want people to feel confident that they are contracting an ethical carrier and not someone who is likely to dump their rubbish in another part of the city. There’s advice on the council website I urge people to read before deciding on who to contract to get rid of your waste,” he added.