Leisure business owner fined for obstructing Environment Agency officers

The owner of a caravan, camping and equestrian business in Derbyshire has been prosecuted for obstructing Environment Agency officers.

At Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court in Derby on Friday 13 September, Darren Lee Fretwell, 58, of Golden Valley Caravan Park, Coach Road, Golden Valley, Alfreton was fined £2,239 and ordered to pay costs of £11,272.

The case against the driver of a lorry which had failed to stop for officers was withdrawn.

Fretwell, who is the landowner of Golden Valley Equestrian Centre and Golden Valley Caravan and Camping Park, admitted two charges of obstruction.

The court was told that in August 2023 Environment Agency officers received information that waste was being tipped on land at Golden Valley Equestrian Centre, in Golden Valley near Alfreton.

On 11 August 2023, an unmarked eight-wheel tipper lorry that had deposited waste on site failed to stop when instructed by an EA officer.

Fretwell had told the driver not to stop and to drive past the officer.

During the same visit, Fretwell also refused to permit excavators which were present at Golden Valley Equestrian Centre to scrape back top layers of soil to examine what had been deposited beneath.

Also on 11 August, Fretwell refused to provide waste transfer notes relating to waste which had been brought onto site when requested by an EA officer.

On 16 August 2023, the EA officers returned to Golden Valley Equestrian Centre, at the invitation of Fretwell, to conduct a follow-up inspection.

In the course of the visit, officers considered they needed to visit a neighbouring site also owned by Fretwell. This site is known as Wallis Gorse, and is on Long Lane, Golden Valley. After some resistance to this from Fretwell, the officers visited that site.

This is where Fretwell again obstructed officers by refusing to provide waste transfer notes or delivery tickets relating to piles of sand containing shredded tyre rubber which were present.

During visits on both 11 August and 16 August, Fretwell was “extremely abusive and hostile” towards the officers. On the second visit on 16 August 2023, this behaviour was captured on body-worn video, which was played in court.

In mitigation, Fretwell said that he recognised that his behaviour on the two dates in question was unacceptable.

Speaking after the hearing, a spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “This behaviour was totally unacceptable. Officers were carrying out their lawful duties to establish whether the site was acting in accordance with environmental regulations.

“Hostile, abusive or obstructive behaviour such as that demonstrated in this case will not deter us from exercising our powers to protect the environment and communities and ensure a level playing field across the industries we regulate.”