A company based at Quedgeley Trading Estate East in Haresfield has appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates Court to answer charges relating to the illegal disposal of waste.

Citi Utilities Ltd, an infrastructure and utilities company, pleaded guilty to three environmental offences, relating to an incident on March 10 when a Stroud District Council employee noticed smoke coming from the Haresfield site from three-quarters of a mile away.

When the officer visited the site he discovered a fire in a skip that contained burning wood and plastic-coated cables that was producing a plume of thick, black smoke.

Magistrates sentenced the company to fines and costs totalling £9,170.

Stroud District Council's environment committee chair Cllr Simon Pickering said: "I am very pleased that our environmental protection team took quick action when it became aware of this potential offence.

"The judgement passed down sends a very clear message to offenders. Waste regulations exist to protect our citizens and the wider environment, and every business dealing in waste, whether they produce, carry, sort, recycle, ship or dispose of it, has a responsibility to fully comply with them.

"Companies tempted to take short cuts by irresponsibly disposing of waste illegally should understand that Stroud District Council will act swiftly to robustly enforce waste regulations."