A LARGE pile of rubbish that blocked a road was traced back to the operator of a Burnley taxi business, a court was told.

Broken bed settees, household rubbish, wooden cabinets, and papers blocked Airdrie Crescent, Burnley.

And the rubbish was traced back to AK Taxis, in Manchester Road, Burnley.

The owner of the firm, Khadam Hussain, 54, of Colne Road, Burnley, pleaded guilty to failing to secure the transfer of waste, and failing to furnish waste transfer notes and waste trade descriptions.

He was fined a total of £600 and ordered to pay £200 prosecution and investigation costs.

Miss Sajada Khan, prosecuting on behalf of the council, said that during interview Hussain explained that he was visited by two men who offered to take away some rubbish.

Hussain paid them £50 to remove rubbish from the back of his premises, but he did not ask if the men had a registered waste carrier licence.

Hussain also admitted he did not have a trade waste agreement with an authorised waste carrier.

He said he usually got rid of his rubbish by sending one of his drivers to the local tip.

Joyce Walkden, the council's principal environmental health officer, said: "Burnley Council operates a zero-tolerance policy on fly tipping. This is an example of "cowboys" coming along, offering to dispose of rubbish and then simply dumping it.

"Council tax payers then have to foot the bill to clean up the mess."