Traveller's jail threat for dumping asbestos

A man who dumped asbestos by the side of a road in the Black Country has been warned he faces jail.

Traveller Lawrence Rooney, aged 21, off-loaded the dangerous material from a van in Murdoch Road, Bilston.

Surveillance cameras also caught the father-of-two dumping timber and conifer clippings at the same spot, Wolverhampton Magistrates Court heard yesterday.

Rooney, of Bridge Street, Willenhall, initially denied three offences under the Environmental Protection Act, but changed his plea to guilty shortly before he was due to stand trial.

He also admitted driving his white Ford Transit van while disqualified and with no MOT certificate or insurance.

Rooney was watched by workers at nearby businesses and captured on CCTV as he dumped the waste, the court was told. He was reported to Wolverhampton Council, who sent officers to investigate.

The court heard that the council was landed with a £640 bill to clear up the mess after it was dumped by Rooney on January 19 last year. Miss Anya Newman, prosecuting on behalf of Wolverhampton Council, said: "These offences are particularly serious.

"This location has been used before. But on this occasion the waste that was dumped included a large amount of asbestos, which is extremely dangerous."

The court was told Rooney was disqualified from driving at the time of the offence, having been convicted for failing to give a specimen of breath in August 2008. He also has three previous convictions for driving while disqualified.

Bally Paul, for Rooney, said: "He was helping a friend to move, but he didn't realise he was putting himself, his friend and the public at large at risk."

District judge Michael Wheeler adjourned the case to allow reports to be prepared. He warned Rooney: "These offences are so serious the court needs to consider locking you up."