Huge tyre fire lands business owner in jail

Stockpile at illegal dump caused days of disruption in Bradford

Huge tyre fire lands business owner in jail
Image: Bigstock.

A Bradford waste tyre business owner has been jailed for a year after a fire at his unauthorised dump caused chaos in the city. Stuart Bedford, 62, ignored repeated warnings about the dangers of storing vast quantities of tyres at a former go-karting site. The fire, which broke out in November 2020, burned for days and involved up to 100 firefighters.

The court heard that Bedford had amassed almost a million tyres at his Bradford and Doncaster sites. The Bradford location was described as having unsafely stacked piles, and the Doncaster site was said to be overflowing with tyres.

Despite receiving official warnings, Bedford’s attempts to address the situation were deemed insufficient. Judge Jonathan Gibson said his efforts were “woefully inadequate.”

The fire caused significant disruption across Bradford. Schools, businesses, and homes in the vicinity were forced to close, and transportation links were heavily affected. The Fire Service’s costs alone surpassed £1 million.

Judge Gibson highlighted the dangers created by the improper storage of the tyres, which hampered firefighting efforts. He praised the firefighters’ work and criticised Bedford’s actions:

“There is no doubt that Stuart Bedford had deliberately breached the law and he had been reckless within the true meaning of that word.”

Bedford’s wife, Vicky, who was considered a figurehead with no real power in the company, received a community order for her role.

This case underlines the importance of responsible waste tyre management to prevent environmental hazards and ensure public safety.

Source: Yorkshire Live

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