Hayden Fortune, 50, has been sentenced after thousands of tonnes of waste was illegally dumped on his land in Skipton close to a Yorkshire beauty spot with officers noticing a ‘bad smell’
A farmer has been given a prison threat as he was sentenced after thousands of tonnes of waste were dumped on his land close to a beauty spot.
50-year-old Hayden Fortune, of Pyethrones Farm in Skipton was sentenced at York Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after an investigation by the Envornment Agency. He had previously pleaded guilty to operating an illegal waste site.
The site was first reported in May 2024 with officers visiting to see what was going on. When they got there, they found large amounts of shredded plastic, metals, electrical items, and aerosols. They also noticed a bad smell.
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Follow-up visits revealed excavators were working on the site as the waste was buried. Fortune received formal warnings and a statutory notice which required the removal of all waste from the land, but the offending continued for more than a year, reports Yorkshire Live.
Then, in February 2026, the Environment Agency managed to secure a restriction order at court. The court determined the offending was deliberate, and Fortune was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also fined £2,500 for breaching an unrelated suspended sentenced.
He was also ordered to carry out 20 days of rehabilitation activity, pay costs of £10,000, and pay a victim surcharge of £187. Fortune was also told to clear all waste from the site within two years, and if he does not he will be brought back before the courts.
Ben Hocking, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Fortune’s deliberate offending showed a total disregard for the law, the environment, and the community where he lives. He repeatedly ignored warnings and notices issued by our officers, who have worked incredibly hard to take quick and decisive action against him.
“I hope this sends out the message to others that we are cracking down on waste crime and we will take action against those who breach the law.”
The breached suspended sentenced related to a Trading Standards prosecution. In April 2023, he was sentenced to a 12 week prison sentence suspended for 18 months due to animal welfare offences, and he received a lifetime ban from keeping animals.
On March 26, the court decided it was inappropriate for the suspended sentence to be activated due to the impact it would have on his dependents.
