The owner of a rubbish removal company has been fined for environmental offences.

Daniel Kernahan has been ordered to pay costs after items linked to his company were discovered at an illegal waste transfer site in Northfleet.

The former site contractor set up Kernahan Contractors Ltd during lockdown after he was made redundant.

Previously, KentOnline reported that the waste management company was generating £250,000 a year and resulted in unusual finds, including iPhones, iPads and gaming consoles.

But, his company has now been fined after admitting to failing in its duty of care to conduct relevant checks to prevent fly-tipping offences and that controlled waste being carried by his company was to a licensed waste carrier.

It also failed to carry out checks that the land being used to store, treat and dispose of controlled waste had the relevant Environment Agency permits and exemptions.

A recent investigation by Gravesham council’s Enforcement Team uncovered a large-scale fly-tip next to the A2 in Northfleet.

It was first reported in April 2022 when Kent Fire and Rescue Service was called to deal with fires that had been set to destroy the waste.

The items were linked to several companies and individuals in Kent, some of who had used Kernahan’s company to dispose of waste, believing it would be done so lawfully.

The Chatham resident told officers he had been approached by an unknown male who had offered to dispose of waste for him at a lower-than-usual cost.

He met with him at a petrol station and followed him to the isolated field – which is not a registered waste station – where his company deposited large amounts of waste expecting it to be processed.

On May 7, Kernahan appeared before Folkestone magistrates and pleaded guilty on behalf of the company to two charges of failing in the company’s duty of care in relation to controlled waste under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

He was fined £8,000 and prosecution costs of £1,500.

Compensation to companies and individuals affected by his business’ actions was also ordered.

The council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Environment Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox said: “I’d like to praise the work of our investigators who traced it to Kernahan and brought him before the courts.

“It reinforces the message that no matter how big or how small the incident if we uncover evidence that leads us to those behind fly-tipping, we will pursue them using all the legal powers at our disposal.

“The message is clear – we do not tolerate fly-tipping in Gravesham and those who think they can get away with it should know as a council we will do all we can to ensure environmental crime doesn’t pay.”