THE boss of a waste firm has been fined £10,000 for dumping and burning toxic waste without a licence in Rayleigh.

A covert surveillance operation by the Environment Agency witnessed materials including building waste, white goods, scrap metal, furniture, white asbestos, drums of toxic liquid and lead acid batteries being burned at Michelins Farm, off the A127.

Wayne Goddard, 33, of Nansen Avenue, Rochford, ran a waste business and owned vehicles used to take waste to the site.

Goddard had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to four charges of disposing of controlled waste without a licence and treating controlled waste without a licence. He was fined £10,000 plus £2,000 costs at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Judge Charles Gratwicke told him: "You knew full well a licence was required."

Employee Darren Russell, 36, of Hastings Road, Southend, pleaded guilty to seven counts of disposing of waste illegally and was fined £2,800 plus £750 costs.

The judge heard that cyanide gas had been produced when some items were burned at the site in November last year.

Goddard ran the waste business and was licensed to carry waste in company vehicles, but only to legitimate sites for correct disposal.

Russell was employed to collect and deposit the waste.

Officers from the agency witnessed Russell and another man pouring the contents of a plastic drum over the loads and setting light to them resulting in a large column of thick black smoke. There were also several small explosions from paint tins in the fire.

The court was told that an Environment Agency chemist raised concerns about fuel soaking into the ground and causing contamination, and the storing of hazardous waste such as batteries and asbestos with non-hazardous waste which is illegal.

After the hearing Environment Agency Crime Officer Chris Window said: "The offences were committed without any consideration for the environment.

"It is important that waste is dealt with at proper licensed waste facilities where the appropriate infrastructure is in place to protect human health and the environment."

The site has since been cleared.