A Londonderry farmer has been given a five month prison sentence, suspended for three years, for illegal waste disposal.

Robert Herbison, 60, from Roguery Road, Toomebridge was convicted of five offences under the Waste and Contaminated Land (NI) Order 1997 at Antrim Magistrates' Court on 5 January 2009.

Mr Herbison was the owner of land at a disused quarry at Clonkeen Road, Randalstown, where large quantities of controlled waste including animal carcasses, asbestos, plastic bale wrap, metal sheeting, wood, and construction waste had been dumped.

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Environmental Crime officers of the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) (now Northern Ireland Environment Agency, NIEA) visited the site on the 28 April 2006 and discovered large quantities of mixed controlled waste and asbestos deposited at the disused quarry site. Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of chrysotile (white asbestos) and crocidolite (blue asbestos) in a sample of sheeting taken from the site.

The land was confirmed to be owned by Mr Robert Herbison, who later informed the EHS that he managed the land, controlled access to the area, and that the waste on the site had been illegally dumped.

Mr Herbison received a Notice to remove controlled waste from the site to an authorised waste treatment facility.

Officers from the NIEA revisited the site on the 4 July 2007 and observed that further controlled waste had been deposited on the site in addition to the waste previously observed.

(PR)(BMcC)