Men Sentenced Over Rat-Infested Waste Mountain

Two men have been sentenced for creating one of the biggest mountains of illegal waste ever seen by the Environment Agency.

Ranbir Singh, 41, and Reginald Baldwin, 71, pleaded guilty after a surveillance operation revealed they dumped 6,000 cubic tonnes of rubbish at a site in Oldbury that became infested with rats and insects.

The men initially ran the site as a lawful waste disposal facility. But over time they allowed rubbish to be deposited above the legal limit allowed.

When they ran out of room, they began dumping waste on a site nearby which did not have a permit.

Singh and a third defendant, Balwant Singh Bagrhia, operated both sites under Langley Skip Hire (Midlands) Limited.

Despite interventions by the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive serving a prohibition notice, the operations continued until Singh was arrested in 2011.

It was discovered Singh had also been dumping waste at a third location. After pleading guilty he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and disqualified from being a company director for seven years.

Baldwin was given a suspended prison sentence of six months, disqualified from being a company director for seven years and ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work in the community. Langley Skip Hire (Midlands) Limited, was fined a total of £100,000.

Baghria will be sentenced on February 21, following consideration of medical evidence.

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