A MAN who illegally stored thousands of tyres has been told to remove them within 28 days or go to prison.

Kyriacos Kyrianou was yesterday given the ultimatum to remove about 5,500 used tyres from land next to the river Holme at Honley.

In April, Kyrianou, 44, of Shelley Lane, Kirkburton, was ordered by a crown court judge to remove all tyres at his own cost from the site by yesterday.

But earlier this month Environment Agency officers found 6,000 tyres remaining on the site, Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday.

The court heard Kyrianou had been unable to pay for their removal – estimated at £12,000 – and had removed only 500 tyres.

Yesterday Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Kyrianou he would go to prison unless all tyres were removed by November 23.

Kyrianou must also pay almost £4,800 in legal costs.

Judge Durham Hall said: “Get rid of the tyres and I will consider an alternative to sending you to prison. If you don’t remove the tyres you will back me into a corner.

“If they are gone, job done, if not you are taking the Mickey, to put it bluntly, and I will send you to prison.”

In November 2007, Kyrianou was fined £5,000 plus £1,000 costs after admitting storing up to 15,000 tyres on the same site.

Defending Gill Batts said the fine had left Kyrianou unable to afford to remove all the tyres.