Criminal investigation under way at Lancaster skip hire business

The Environment Agency has withdrawn A1 Supa Skips’ permit which means any form of further waste deposit or processing on their site will now be a criminal offence.

The company is also required to clear their site, at Unit 37, Lune industrial Estate, of all waste as the Environment Agency continues its criminal investigation.

The Environment Agency says it has taken these measures to protect the environment from harm.

Waste operators are required to operate in line with a set of rules that protect the environment and human health. Where the Environment Agency has concerns these rules are not complied with, it can use enforcement powers to seek to withdraw a site’s permit.

The withdrawal of the permit means A1 Supa Skips are no longer able to conduct any form of waste operations. Any further waste deposit or processing on the site is a criminal offence. As part of the withdrawal of the licence the operator is also required to clear the site of all waste.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We take our responsibility to protect the environment and legitimate businesses very seriously and will take tough action where operators fail to meet our high standards. Members of the public and businesses in the area need to be aware that it is now a criminal offence to use A1 Supa Skips Ltd to remove and dispose of waste.

“Anyone who has a skip from the company on their premises or on the roadside should contact the company in the first instance to see if alternative removal arrangements can be made.

“Effective regulation is vital to protect our air, land, and water from harm and to provide the level playing field legitimate businesses need to prevent being undercut by irresponsible or illegal operators. In return, we expect businesses to take responsibility for their operations and protect the environment.

"There is currently a criminal investigation being conducted by the Environment Agency on this site and therefore we are limited to what information we can share at this time.”

*Anyone who spots waste crime in their area can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or call the incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.