The director of a timber recycling company in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire has been given a six-month prison sentence and a curfew order for a month.

Anne-Lise McDonald, prosecuting, told Northampton Crown Court the company – Larner Timber Recycling – chipped and sorted waste wood from May 2012.

The firm however “breached a condition to have a written management system to protect people and the environment”, she added.

David Lewis McEwan’s site accumulated a huge amount of waste wood which was stored without any fire breaks. Wood particles from chipping also escaped from the site “polluting neighbours’ sites and causing a further breach of its permit”.

Environment Agency Officer John Jones said: “Waste sites have a duty to ensure their operations are managed properly to ensure they do not present a risk to neighbouring companies nor to the environment. If they refuse to comply or deliberately ignore advice supplied by site inspectors, they may be prosecuted and risk going to jail.”