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Two employees of Nationwide Recycling given suspended jail sentences

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Suspended sentences of 24-months have been given to two former employees of Nationwide Recycling on fraud charges.

Beverly Bradford and Terry Ainge were sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation (over £2 million).

Both received 24 month jail terms, that were suspended for two years.

Nationwide Recycling directors Andrew Thomas and Paul Thomas will be sentenced on 19 July 2013.

In December 2010, Nationwide Recycling was raided by Environment Agency Wales (now Natural Resources Wales) and South Wales Police.

In the investigation that followed into Nationwide Recycling, it was found that the company weighed plant, machinery and lorries to generate false weighbridge tickets and invoices for recycled material that was never in fact received by it for recycling.

The company also falsified registrations of proposed vehicles bringing waste to the site. Following a vehicle check with the DVLA, the investigation found one vehicle to be a Harley Davidson motorbike that had allegedly carried 20 tonnes of glass into the site.

This led to an estimated financial gain of over £2 million through the fraudulent issue of PRNs for materials that were never recovered or recycled.

Directors of Nationwide Recycling were also found to be taking metal cans for recycling from local authorities, then selling the cans to local scrap dealers and keeping the cash. The money generated through fraudulently selling these cans is estimated at just under £300,000.

Natural Resources Wales lead officer John Rock said: “As regulators of the waste industry, we have to make sure that all companies operate legally to make sure there is a level playing field. Occasionally, there are those who break the law simply to profit from their activities and this will not be tolerated.

In this case, the actions of the offenders have undermined the recycling markets and industry, which are vital to make sure the waste we all produce is not sent to landfill.

“People who do consider breaking the law simply to make money must understand that not only will they be punished for their offence, the profits they make are also at risk.”