A MAN who illegally dumped and burnt waste for profit was caught on camera in a covert surveillance operation.

Vittorio Magari was filmed by Environment Agency officers after they received a tip-off that waste was being dealt with illegally on land at the rear of Cemetery Road, Kearsley.

Magari, of Waverley Avenue, Bolton, was operating a commercial enterprise at the site, Bolton Magistrates Court heard.

He was seen dumping waste from a skip and a tipper truck on September 5, including doors, packaging, oil drums and building rubble. Some of the waste was illegally tipped down a nearby embankment.

Magari was also witnessed setting fire to waste, including oil drums and liquid from a bulk container, which gave off thick black smoke.

The smoke was so bad that Environment Agency officers watching the site were forced to intervene to prevent further harm to the environment.

At Bolton Magistrates Court, Magari confirmed he was registered to carry waste, but did not have any paperwork allowing him to use the site to sort, dump or dispose of controlled waste.

He pleaded guilty to three offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and asked the court to take a further two offences into consideration, which had taken place on August 23.

Magari was fined £3,500 and ordered to pay £2,500 as a contribution to costs following a hearing on Tuesday.

The prosecution had been brought by the Environment Agency which had mounted its surveillance with Bolton Council.

Waste must be disposed of only at sites covered by a special waste management licence.

These are strictly regulated by the Environment Agency to ensure that dumping does not pose a risk to human health, land or wildlife.