A businessman who dumped waste at a Huddersfield park claimed it was for a community bonfire - set to take place a month later.

But Kirklees Council had to spend hundreds of pounds to clear up the flytipping mess left by Craig Ainley.

Ainley, who ran his own property maintenance firm, discarded kitchen units on Cowlersley Recreation Ground on October 10.

He said he was leaving the items there for an upcoming bonfire celebration that had been held at the site for the last 50 years. But this was was not due to be held for several weeks and didn’t have a Kirklees Council permit.

Ainley, 32, pleaded guilty to a charge of depositing controlled waste without an environmental permit.

LOOK at recent fly-tipping at Marsden Moor beauty spot

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A local couple witnessed him pull up in his vehicle with another unnamed person and dump the trade waste, Kirklees Council prosecutor Miles Barker said.

He told Kirklees Magistrates : “He was tipping the material into the park and was watched for some time by the lady and man. They got out their binoculars, took some pictures with a camera and told the local authority.”

It cost the council £750 to clear the waste from the site.

Ainley was interviewed under caution and admitted the offence.

The recreation ground at Cowlersley where Craig Ainley dumped rubbish

He admitted dumping kitchen fittings that he had ripped out during his work but said that other items including some bushes and carpet were already there.

Mr Barker said: “He said he believed they were going to be used on a bonfire usually held there.

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“There are only two sites in Kirklees where bonfires are allowed on council property and this wasn’t one of them.

“It was not an insubstantial period before bonfires would have been held on the site which were unlawful in any event.”

Mr Barker added that Ainley would have been well aware of the regulations surrounding the disposal of waste due to the nature of his own business.

Rachel Sharpe, mitigating, said that her client has since wound up his business and sold the vehicle involved in the fly-tipping .

She told magistrates: “He does know the rules but the community around the recreation park has held a bonfire there for the last 50 years.

“He’d been told by someone that the tipping had begun and he says he was contributing towards the community bonfire.”

Magistrates handed Ainley, of Lowerhouses Road, Quarmby, an eight-week electronically tagged curfew as punishment.

He also has to pay £250 towards council costs and £60 victim surcharge.

Because he used his vehicle to commit an offence he was banned from driving for 55 days.