A man has admitted collecting scrap metal without a licence and been fined by magistrates.
Robert Dixon, 57, of Sheffield Street, Carlisle, was prosecuted by Westmorland and Furness Council.
Dixon, pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared at Carlisle Magistrates Court on November 26.
An environmental enforcement officer witnessed Dixon driving to a farm at Blencow, near Penrith, on July 11 2024, before loading scrap metal items onto his truck.
The council had previously warned Dixon about unlicensed collecting in 2020, but he informed the council officer that he had been collecting from the farm for years.
Councillor John Murray, cabinet member for transport and regulatory services, said: “Unlicensed scrap metal collectors are unregulated and take trade away from those collectors who are licenced and regulated by the Council.
“They can also use their activities to spot high value items in farmyards, or gardens, for future thefts.
“We urge people to check in the windscreen of a scrap metal collector’s vehicle to see if they have a Westmorland and Furness photo licence, before giving, or selling scrap to them.
“It is not advisable to leave scrap metal items and white goods in front of your house as they may attract unscrupulous and illegal operators to your area.”
The council added that small, credit card-type identification cards carried by some unlicensed traders are not scrap metal licences and do not legally entitle anyone to collect scrap metal.
