A business has been fined more than £10,000 after hazardous waste was discovered dumped in a nature reserve.
West London-based Palm Dry Cleaners Ltd and its director Shazia Nadeer were prosecuted following a Redbridge Council investigation into a major fly-tip at Aldborough Hall Nature Reserve in Ilford.
The dumped waste included hazardous chemicals, blue dry-cleaning bags, and two open metal drums containing remnants of super stabilised perchloroethylene—a chemical used in the dry-cleaning industry.
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Ron Clayden, neighbourhood enforcement officer at Redbridge Council, said: "It was a large-scale, deliberate illegal waste deposit—one of the most complex we’ve encountered within the borough.
"We spent three days meticulously examining the waste to identify any evidence that would lead to bringing those responsible to account."
The investigation began after residents reported the fly-tip to council officers.
Enforcement teams found three large piles of waste, including two open metal drums containing remnants of perchloroethylene. The chemical is hazardous to human health and the environment and must be disposed of under strict safety procedures.
Officers traced the waste to Palm Dry Cleaners Ltd through a detailed examination of the materials and further enquiries. When questioned, Ms Nadeer was unable to produce evidence or documentation of legal waste disposal or measures to prevent environmental harm.
Ms Nadeer, 51, and the company were taken to court and prosecuted for two offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990: failing to take reasonable steps to prevent the illegal deposit of waste, and failing to produce waste transfer notes.
Appearing at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on May 12, Ms Nadeer pleaded guilty to both offences. She was fined and ordered to pay a victim surcharge and council costs totalling £3,773.
Palm Dry Cleaners Ltd was likewise fined and ordered to pay £7,004. The combined penalties amounted to £10,777.
Cllr Sunny Brar, Redbridge cabinet member for enforcement, community safety, and cohesion, said: "This deplorable violation of our nature reserve is quite rightly being met with the toughest of legal actions. We have zero tolerance for grime crime in Redbridge.
"All businesses are required to dispose of their commercial waste legally and responsibly and must have the required documentation to demonstrate how they do this.
"This prosecution should serve as a warning to businesses acting unlawfully that we will use the full weight of the law to secure the toughest sentences if your waste is found dumped in Redbridge."
The council said separate investigations are ongoing into the other piles of waste found at the site, which are not linked to Ms Nadeer or Palm Dry Cleaners Ltd.
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