County Durham Man Slammed as ‘Arrogant’ Over Massive Illegal Waste Dump
Peter Snailum, 64, from Whitworth, Spennymoor, has been hit with a 12-month community order and 90 hours unpaid work for dumping over 5,000 tonnes of waste illegally on his rural land near Consett.
Dumped Waste Far Exceeded Legal Limits
Between January and March 2020, Snailum accepted excavation waste from a construction site, dumping it at his School House Farm property, Kiln Pit Hill. Although he had a registered exemption permitting up to 1,000 tonnes for construction purposes, investigators found five times that amount illegally tipped.
The Environment Agency launched an investigation, revealing Snailum’s true intent was to level his land – an activity that requires a proper environmental permit. Worse still, the court heard Snailum taunted officers, daring them to prosecute, thinking he’d get off with just a fine.
Judge Slams Snailum’s Denial and Defiance
Judge Joanne Kidd branded Snailum “arrogant” for initially denying the charges, causing the case to drag despite overwhelming evidence. “He blatantly ignored warnings and undermined legitimate businesses by avoiding proper waste disposal,” the judge said.
Environment Agency Issues Stark Warning
Gary Wallace, Environment Agency manager for the North East, said: “Waste crime like this harms the environment and local communities. Snailum was warned repeatedly but chose to break the law. We hope this sends a clear message that we take waste crime seriously and offenders will face the courts.”
Prosecutor Holly Clegg added waste deposits continued even after Snailum was ordered to stop. Records confirmed more than 5,000 tonnes were dumped illegally over a few months, including contaminated crushed MDF in early 2021.
