A FARMER could be jailed if illegal waste dumping continues on land he manages.

A court injunction has been issued to stop Claremont Farm, in Burnt Mills Road, Basildon, being being used as an illegal tip.

Neighbours angered by problem with the site say they hope the legal move will finally end the long-running problem.

Police and Basildon Council officials served the order at the site yesterday.

It mean sanyone caught dumping, or allowing dumping on the land can be brought to court and fined, imprisoned or have their assets seized.

Basildon County Court granted the injunction the day after an Echo investigation revealed trucks had once again dumped tonnes of mixed soil and waste on the land.

The weekend incident was a clear breach of earlier council enforcement and stop orders which banned dumping there.

The land is managed by Tony Cooper, 44, who lives in Burnt Mills Road, though it is registered to a woman named Deborah Dobbie. Both could face action if the dumping continues.

Neither turned up in court to oppose the application for an injunction.

The court was told several trucks pulled on to the land last weekend and unloaded about ten or 12 tonnes of waste. Their activity led to several complaints from angry neighbours.

The land was used as an unofficial tip for two years before the council served enforcement orders in February.

After the injunction was granted, the council’s principal planning officer, Martin Kearney, said: “We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure the injunction is complied with.

“We would ask residents to continue to assist us by bringing any breaches to our attention, particularly any tipping activity out of office hours.”

A woman in her forties, who lives near the site, but did not want to be named said: “The council says this will stop it, but I’ll believe it when I see it.”

When asked about the latest development, Mr Cooper said: “I don’t believe the injunction is valid.

“I will appeal to get it quashed, because I did not know the hearing was taking place.

“The papers were never served on me, because I was in the High Court dealing with the repossession.”

Mr Cooper said he had been trying to get his own injunction against repossession of the site. He maintained the dumping was the fault of flytippers and he had been too busy in court to deal with it.

l Anyone who sees dumping out of hours is asked to call the council's emerg- ency number, 01268 286622.