Martin John Hudson (34) of Millers Green, Wirksworth, was sentenced on May 1, at Derby Magistrates Court, on four charges of keeping waste illegally due to not having a waste management licence.

The charges were brought by the Environment Agency, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Hudson was given a five month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, told to undertake 250 hours community service and was ordered to pay £5,000 in compensation and £4308.58 costs.

Hudson will also be electronically tagged for six months as part of a 9pm to 6am curfew order.

The court heard that Hudson was the director and company secretary of a skip firm, called Cheap Skips Limited, operating at Ambergate Sawmills, in Ripley Road.

An Environment Agency spokesman said the company did not have a waste management licence and no preventative measures were taken to reduce pollution while the waste was stored.

Speaking after the case, Damien Ashby, an Environment Agency officer involved in the investigation, said: "We hope this sends a clear message that businesses must operate within the law in order to protect the local environment."