Alfreton caravan park owner must pay £13k after 'abusing' environment officers
A horse centre and caravan park owner who stopped Environmental Agency officers from carrying out their duties has been fined £2,239 and ordered to pay £11,272 costs after admitting two counts of obstruction - a total of £13,511. Darren Lee Fretwell, of Golden Valley Caravan Park, in Alfreton, was successfully prosecuted by the Environment Agency at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court.
Fretwell owns both Golden Valley Equestrian Centre and Golden Valley Caravan and Camping Park. The court heard that in August 2023, Environment Agency officers received information that waste was being tipped on land at Golden Valley Equestrian Centre. An unmarked eight-wheel tipper lorry had deposited waste at the site but failed to stop when instructed by an EA officer on Fretwell's instructions.
During the same visit, Fretwell also refused to permit excavators which were present at Golden Valley Equestrian Centre to scrape back top layers of soil to examine what had been deposited beneath. And he refused to provide waste transfer notes relating to waste which had been brought onto site when requested by an EA officer.
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A few days later, the officers returned to Golden Valley Equestrian Centre, at the invitation of Fretwell, to conduct a follow up inspection. In the course of the visit, officers considered they needed to visit a neighbouring site also owned by Fretwell. This site is known as Wallis Gorse, and is on Long Lane, Golden Valley. After some resistance to this from Fretwell, the officers visited that site.
This is where Fretwell again obstructed officers by refusing to provide waste transfer notes or delivery tickets relating to piles of sand containing shredded tyre rubber, which were present.
During both visits, the court heard that Fretwell was abusive and hostile towards the officers. On the second visit, the behaviour was captured on body-worn video, which was played in court.
In mitigation, Fretwell said that he recognised that his behaviour on the two dates in question was unacceptable.
Speaking after the hearing, a spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "This behaviour was totally unacceptable. Officers were carrying out their lawful duties to establish whether the site was acting in accordance with environmental regulations.
“Hostile, abusive or obstructive behaviour such as that demonstrated in this case will not deter us from exercising our powers to protect the environment and communities and ensure a level playing field across the industries we regulate."
People needing to report an environmental incident should call the Environment Agency 24/7 hotline 0800 807060 or provide information anonymously via CrimeStoppers on 0800 55 111.