Fly tipper takes responsibility for cemetery waste

‘Major errors’ by a licensed waste handler led to a huge pile of fly tipping being dumped in a Bradford cemetery, a court has heard.

Imran Khan, 38, appeared at Bradford Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he admitted responsibility for the fly tipping at Scholemoor Cemetery last September – a crime described as a “disrespectful act.”

Khan, of Hartman Place, also admitted fly tipping on Munby Street earlier that month.

Magistrates decided the crimes were so serious they could only be dealt with by the Crown Court, and Khan will be sentenced next month.

Khan pleaded guilty to three charges. These included fly tipping on Munby Street on August 4 2024, and a separate charge of handling controlled waste without taking correct measures – which also related to the Munby Street incident.

He also admitted to handling controlled waste without taking correct measures in relation to Scholemoor Cemetery on 16 September.

However, he denied being the one who actually dumped the waste on that occasion, saying he had leant his vehicle to a colleague who dumped the waste without his knowledge.

Waseem Raja, prosecuting on behalf of Bradford Council, told the court Environmental Enforcement officers had been called to a report of fly tipping on August 6.

CCTV showed a Ford transit dumping a “substantial amount” of waste, including litter, building materials and garden waste on Munby Street, off Thornton Road, at 6.28am.

Mr Raja said waste was dumped at Scholemoor Cemetery on September 16, and the same vehicle was found to have been involved. The waste included building materials, cardboard and “unwanted household items.”

The enforcement team searched through the waste and found the address of a woman, who they then interviewed Mr Raja said: “She informed officers that she had paid Imran Khan to dispose of the waste.”

Khan had showed her documentation that proved he was a licensed waste carrier.

Mr Raja said: “It just so happens the vehicle was later involved in an unrelated road traffic stop on 4 November. Police carried out checks and the keeper was found to be Khan.”

He said the Environmental Enforcement team wrote to him inviting him to an interview. His girlfriend contacted the team asking the interview be rescheduled. He failed to attend, or respond to mailed questions about the offences.

Mr Raja said: “To date, Khan has not been in touch with the team to provide any information on the offences.”

Although he had received payment to remove the waste than ended up in the cemetery, and the vehicle that dumped it was registered to him, Khan denied that he had deposited the waste.

Mr Raja said: “He has since explained that the vehicle was borrowed by his friend, and it was that person who deposited the waste in the cemetery.

“We can’t disprove that, but the Council argues that he failed to take measures to ensure

the correct transfer of waste. Allowing someone else to deposit the waste in the cemetery is, in my submission, just as bad as if he did it himself.

“He flagrantly disregarded the law, he took money to deposit waste properly and he has not done that.

“Of course, this has taken place in a cemetery. It is an unpleasant offence. It did effect people visiting the cemetery. It is a disrespectful act.”

A Mr Arshad, defending Khan, said: “For a period of time he was operating a legitimate waste carrier operation, and he had the relevant licence in place.

“The reality is there were major errors by him relating to how he conducted aspects of his business.

“Through his guilty pleas he acknowledges his wrongdoing. He has expressed great remorse for what he has allowed to happen through his own actions and inactions.

“In relation to the Cemetery incident, he had no knowledge that the waste had been dumped in a cemetery.

“He acknowledges he should have taken greater care when he loaned the van to one of his colleagues.

Chair of the bench Alison Coward said the pictures of the fly tipping showed sharp objects and tins of unidentified materials – highlighting the potential harm of the waste.

She said: “These charges are so serious they need to be sentenced in a crown court.”

Khan will be sentenced on 21 August.