Caught on camera: White van man dumps deadly asbestos in yard

Shaun O'Neil, 42, was seen to flytip five large canvas builders' bags filled with the remains of the Asbestos garage from his home. He was spotted in his employer's white open-back vehicle unloading the waste next to a business premises.

Today he was fined 200 and ordered to pay 2,117 costs with a 15 victim surcharge, at Leeds Magistrates Court.

O'Neil, of Topcliffe Court, Morley, was charged under the Environmental Protection Act, which involves the Illegal disposal of controlled waste.

Leeds City Council installed CCTV cameras in the area last autumn, following years of fly tipping.

O'Neil's employers used vehicle tracking software to confirm that their vehicle was at the fly tipping site at that time. Specialist asbestos workers later had to dispose of the sacks of waste.

Coun Colin Campbell, Leeds Council's lead member for environmental health, said: "Cleaning up fly tipping costs the council tens of thousands of pounds every year and is a blight on our neighbourhoods and communities. It is worrying that asbestos was being dumped, putting people's health at risk, and we will always take action against those who seek to dump their rubbish on the streets."