Tyre firm slapped with £100k fine for flouting fire safety rules in Northamptonshire
Tyre overload sparks major risk warning
Exhaust Tyres and Batteries (Worcester) Limited has been hit with a hefty £100,000 fine and ordered to pay £7,463 costs after breaching regulations at a Daventry site. The company illegally dumped a staggering 250,000 waste tyres at Synergy Tyres Limited, far exceeding permitted limits.
No permit, massive tyre pile-up
Synergy Tyres had limited exemptions allowing small-scale tyre storage and treatment—capped at 40 tonnes for a week. But Exhaust Tyres blew past this limit without an environmental permit, recklessly piling up tyres close to homes and industrial sites.
Environment Agency exposes dangerous ‘wilful blindness’
Environment Agency officers uncovered the illegal activity stretching from January 2020 to February 2021. Prosecutor Sarah Dunne blasted the firm’s “wilful blindness” to fire risks, calling it “common knowledge” that storing huge tyre stacks is a serious hazard.
Records were also incomplete, breaching statutory rules on waste tracking.
Judge’s warning: comply or cough up
District Judge Nick Watson said the £100,000 fine sends a clear message: “They need to comply with environmental legislation.”
Paul Salter, Senior Environmental Crime Officer, warned: “We won’t hesitate to prosecute companies that endanger communities and flout environmental laws. The defendant’s reckless actions show a shocking lack of environmental awareness. Large tyre piles pose serious fire risks to neighbours and premises. Waste crime also hits lawful firms, undercutting regulations to save time and money.”
During questioning, Exhaust Tyres claimed ignorance of their environmental duties—a poor excuse for putting lives at risk.
Public urged to report pollution 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60.
