A Carlisle court has ordered a man to pay £2,323 for collecting scrap metal in the Westmorland and Furness area without a licence.
Robert Dixon, 57, pleaded guilty to the offence on 26th November at Carlisle Magistrates Court, after Westmorland and Furness Council brought the prosecution.
An Environmental Enforcement Officer witnessed Dixon, of Sheffield Street in Carlisle, driving to a farm at Blencow, near Penrith on 11th July 2024, before loading scrap metal items onto his truck.
The council had previously warned Dixon about unlicensed collecting in 2020, but he informed the council officer that he had been collecting from the farm for years.
Councillor John Murray, Cabinet Member for Transport and Regulatory Services said, “Unlicensed scrap metal collectors are unregulated and take trade away from those collectors who are licenced and regulated by the Council.
“They can also use their activities to spot high value items in farmyards, or gardens, for future thefts.
“We urge people to check in the windscreen of a scrap metal collector’s vehicle to see if they have a Westmorland and Furness photo licence, before giving, or selling scrap to them.
“It is not advisable to leave scrap metal items and white goods in front of your house as they may attract unscrupulous and illegal operators to your area.”
The council also advises that small, credit card-type identification cards carried by some unlicensed traders are not scrap metal licences and do not legally entitle anyone to collect scrap metal.