Northampton, 28 March
The Environment Agency has secured a Proceeds of Crime award totalling £313,382.45 against two Northampton men who ran an illegal tyre waste site, marking a major step in the fight against environmental crime.
At Northampton Crown Court on Friday, 28 March, the confiscation hearing concluded against Nimesh Patel, 52, of Jasper Walk, Thorplands Brook, and Andrew Eyre, 55, of Poppyfield Road, Wootton. The two had operated Synergy Tyres (Midland) Ltd. at Broad March Industrial Estate, Daventry, without an environmental permit, creating a significant fire and pollution risk.
Patel, the site’s operations manager, was ordered to pay £175,013.93 and a £122 surcharge. Eyre, the company’s director, must pay £138,368.52 and a £140 surcharge. Both have been given three months to pay or face prison sentences — three years for Patel and two years for Eyre. Eyre was also fined an additional £250 for breaching a previously suspended sentence from January 2020.
The case stems from repeated inspections by the Environment Agency between February 2020 and March 2021, during which officers found excessive and unsafe tyre storage on site — in violation of environmental regulations. Tyre stockpiles frequently exceeded the 40-tonne weekly limit, with illegal levels recorded 52 times over a 59-week period.
The court also issued a symbolic £1 confiscation order against John Mullen, 59, of Frankston Avenue, Milton Keynes, who was involved in a related case. Mullen previously received a six-month community order and had been a joint director with Eyre at IN4 Ltd, which in 2017 was found to be storing over 1,300 tonnes of tyres — more than 15 times the permitted amount.
Peter Stark, enforcement leader for the Environment Agency in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, emphasized the broader message:
“This case shows that we’re not just content to prosecute those who run illegal waste sites — we’ll also come after them to recover the profits they made. Waste crime poses a serious threat to the environment, local communities, and legitimate businesses. We’ll continue to pursue these offenders with intelligence-led enforcement and tough penalties.”
The Environment Agency is urging the public to report suspected waste crime by contacting CrimeStoppers at 0800 555 111.
