Author: Pulse Assent

The vehicle was detained by officers last year after months of surveillance and intelligence gathering as part of Operation Poppy, a joint operation between the Environment Agency and local police into 28 incidents of large scale illegal dumping of commercial waste in North Staffordshire, Shropshire, South Staffordshire and North Worcestershire. The DVLA also issued a prohibition notice and immediately removed the vehicle off the road after the vehicle was found to be using trade plates illegally and deemed unsafe to drive.

The driver and passenger were questioned by the police and remain a line of enquiry.

The vehicle was used to transport and dump large quantities of shredded household commercial waste, varying between 30 and 500 tonnes, on farmland, private wooded estates, secluded public footpath areas and business compounds. Secured areas were broken into and locks replaced by the offenders.

Environment Agency officers working on the case have since reported a reduction in illegal waste activity in the area since the lorry was seized.

Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

We are determined to make life hard for waste criminals by preventing and disrupting illegal activity. Today’s vehicle crushing highlights the lengths we will go to make criminals pay for their unlawful deeds.

Thanks to the recent £30 million funding from the government and new powers to tackle problematic sites including authority to lock up sites and force rogue operators out of business, we are in a better position to safeguard the environment, local communities and the economy from the effects of waste crime.

In the financial year 16/17, the Environment Agency brought 138 prosecutions against businesses or individuals for waste crime offences, yielding more than £2m in fines.

As the fight against waste crime ramps up, the Environment Agency has recently introduced body worn cameras for waste enforcement officers. The move follows a growing number of abusive incidents during site inspections.

Environment Agency, West Midlands Area Director, Mike Grimes said:

This is the second vehicle destroyed this week, that has been taken as part of Environment Agency enforcement action. The seizure of these vehicles give a clear message that the Environment Agency takes waste crime seriously and will persistently pursue those suspected of illegally dumping waste.

We’re making good progress to tackle waste crime. Our enforcement action is resulting in higher fines and custodial sentences. In the past 2 weeks, prosecutions in West Midlands have resulted in a 26-month jail term for one waste criminal and a 200 hour community service order for another.

Last year, the Environment Agency closed down 2 illegal waste sites every day and we have already seized another vehicle connected with waste crime across the Midlands. With our new waste powers, we can take tougher action to reduce illegal waste activity, which will make a real difference to the local communities.

Gill Heath, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Communities, said:

It took us 3 days to remove approximately 175 tonnes of rubbish from the car park and footpath at Madeley Heath, so I’m delighted that a vehicle involved in that crime is being taken off the road permanently.

Dumping commercial waste has the potential to harm people and the environment, causes a great deal of trouble for the victims and it’s extremely frustrating that public bodies have to spend taxpayers’ money cleaning up a crime.

Members of the public can report illegal waste activity anomalously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via the online form

Sir John Kingman, the head of an independent review into the audit, accountant and actuary regulator the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), has today (Friday 19 May) announced details of the independent advisory group that will support the review.

The review aims to make the FRC the best in class for corporate governance and the advisory group brings together expertise from a range of sectors and backgrounds, with members including representatives from the investment community, senior business leaders, and leading figures in accountancy, governance and regulation.

Launched in April 2018, the review is assessing FRC’s governance, impact and powers, to ensure it is fit for the future, and is due for completion by the end of 2018.

In accordance with the review’s terms of reference, the advisory group will be responsible for scrutinising and challenging the review’s findings and recommendations, as well as advising on the direction of the review and sources of evidence.

The review will include a consultation, asking for views on the FRC’s role.

The advisory group will be comprised of:

• Lucinda Bell: Formerly CFO at British Land; Non-Executive Director and Audit Chair, Rotork plc
• Mark Burgess: Deputy Global Chief Investment Officer, and Chief Investment Officer EMEA, Columbia Threadneedle
• John Cridland: Chair, Transport for the North, leading the State Pension Age review; formerly Director-General, Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
• Dame Amelia Fawcett: Deputy Chair of Swedish investment firm Kinnevik; Non-Executive Board Member at HM Treasury, and Non-Executive Director at State Street Corporation (US); formerly Chair, Guardian Media Group
• Amelia Fletcher: Professor of Competition Policy, University of East Anglia; Non-Executive Director, Financial Conduct Authority, Payment Systems Regulator, and Competition and Markets Authority
• Simon Fraser: Chair of F&C Investment Trust and the Investor Forum; formerly Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity International Ltd
• Sir Peter Gershon: Chairman, National Grid plc. Formerly Chair, Tate & Lyle plc, and Chief Executive, Office of Government Commerce
• Teresa Graham: Chair, Salix Finance; Chair, HMRC Administrative Burdens Advisory Board; previously Deputy Chair of the government’s Better Regulation Commission (BRC), and a Partner at accounting firm Baker Tilly (now RSM)
• Dame Mary Keegan: Former chair, Accounting Standards Board; previously PWC’s first female audit partner; founding member, International Forum on Accountancy Development, and HM Treasury’s former Managing Director for Government Financial Management
• Nikhil Rathi: Chief Executive Officer, London Stock Exchange Plc at London Stock Exchange Group plc
• Anne Richards: Chief Executive Officer, M&G Investments