A NORTHWICH man has narrowly avoided jail after fly-tipping dangerous waste in a country lane.

Craig Norman Brewin, 39, from Manor Drive in Barnton, appeared before West Cheshire Magistrates Court on Thursday, May 17, and entered a guilty plea to a charge of dumping the waste which contained asbestos, contrary to the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The prosecutor told the court that, in March 2017, Cheshire West and Chester received a tip off that there had been 30 bags of waste thrown to the roadside in Hall Lane, Little Leigh.

At the scene, officers from the council’s regulatory services team found bags filled with broken pieces of corrugated asbestos cement sheeting. They also found asbestos insulating board which contained brown asbestos.

A specialist contractor was called to collect and dispose of the waste.

Police began their investigations immediately, and Brewin was traced and ultimately interviewed under caution.

When interviewed, the defendant explained that he had knocked down his old garage and built a new one, and that the asbestos materials were the remnants of his old garage.

He could not give an explanation as to how the asbestos waste came to be scattered down a country lane but explained that he often left metal waste in his garden for collection.

In sentencing Brewin, the court said that the case was extremely serious and had passed the custody threshold.

Cllr Karen Shore, CWAC cabinet member for environment, said: “This is an extremely serious matter and the defendant was lucky not to go to prison for this crime.

“Our officers have a very high success rate in tracking down and prosecuting fly tippers. Would-be fly-tippers beware - jail is an option for the courts, even if the waste doesn’t contain asbestos.”

Brewin, who had no previous convictions, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to complete 50 hours unpaid community work.

He was also ordered to pay £1757.25 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £115.

Members of the public are advised to visit the Health and Safety Executive website (hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/) for advice before dealing with asbestos.