Barber shop owner fined for dumped waste

28 August 2024

The owner of a barber’s shop has been ordered to pay more £2,500 after hairdressing material was found dumped near Buscot.

Mr Emin Isitmen, 23, trading as Highworth Turkish Barbers, attended Oxford Magistrates on Friday 23 August when he pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the unlawful deposit of waste.

Magistrates heard that black bags containing large quantities of barber’s hairdressing material and cardboard packaging had been found on land along Snowswick Lane in November 2023. The packaging featured address labels for a property nearby in Highworth registered to Highworth Turkish Barbers, owned by Mr Isitmen.

Investigating officers from Vale of White Horse District Council attempted to engage with Mr Isitmen on several occasions but without reply. When they were eventually able to speak to Mr Isitmen, he claimed that he had passed the waste to a friend to dispose of but then failed to provide any contact details for them.

Following Mr Isitmen’s lack of engagement and failure to provide any records relating to the waste, the council’s legal team began prosecution proceedings. The case was first listed for hearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 28 June 2024, but Mr Isitmen failed to attend and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested on 13 August and bailed to attend Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday 23 August 2024.

In sentencing, the District Judge told Mr Isitmen that he had been “very silly not to engage with the council as this had resulted in him receiving a criminal conviction when, if he had responded when contacted, the matter could have been dealt with by a fixed penalty notice.”

Mr Isitmen was fined £1,200 and ordered to pay £871 in costs and a £480 victim surcharge.

A pile of discarded items, including black plastic bags and cardboard, lies on the grass next to a metal gate that opens into a field. The setting appears to be rural with trees and a clear sky in the background, highlighting an instance of improper waste disposal in nature.

The image shows a pile of discarded items, including black plastic bags and cardboard, on the grass next to a metal gate that opens into a field. The setting appears to be rural with trees and a clear sky in the background. This image highlights an instance of improper waste disposal in nature, raising environmental concerns about pollution and its impact on natural landscapes.

Cllr Mark Coleman, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Waste at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “All business owners must ensure that their waste is disposed of legally and that they keep the required records. Disposing of illegally dumped waste results in a cost to the Council and, therefore, to the tax paying residents of the Vale. Anyone who fails in their duty of care risks a criminal record and a fine. Our enforcement officers won’t hesitate to act against those responsible for dumped waste.”

Notes for editors:

Mr Isitmen was charged under Section 34(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (duty of care of controlled waste) and Regulation 35 of the 2011 Regulations (requiring details of the disposal of commercial waste)