A Bath man pleaded guilty to failing in his duty of care after waste he was paid to remove was dumped at Stourton Water, near Steeple Ashton.

Geoffrey Barton, 54, of King George’s Road, was sentenced at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 15.

He was hired to clear waste from a property that was being renovated despite knowing that his waste carriers licence had expired, which meant he shouldn’t have taken the items.

Once he’d collected the rubbish, which included an old plastic bath tub, his van broke down in Bath with Barton claiming the items were stolen from it.

They were later found at Stourton Water.

Barton was fined £1,200, ordered to pay £500 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.