A FARMER behind illegal tipping which could have harmed his neighbours and spoiled a scenic part of Nelson has walked free from court -- but only after he cleaned up his act.

Wayne Bolland, 31, had earlier been staring a possible jail term in the face after flouting waste control laws for more than 10 years on his hillside farm.

Burnley Crown Court heard how he had shown 'reckless disregard' for tipping regulations and caused a 'serious environmental risk', though luckily the area escaped unscathed.

Bolland's blatant conduct was slammed by a judge, who said he could have disturbed or in some way harmed local residents' lives or the livelihoods of people working nearby. It was only the last minute £25,000 plus clean-up operation which had saved him from custody.

The court had been told how struggling Bolland had been dumping and burning illegal rubbish on his rural farm in an area of 'special landscape' in the hills above Nelson.

His father George, now 72 and disabled, had run a skip business in conjuction with the tipping at Dry Clough Farm, Shelfield Lane, Southfield, and the business was said to have kept the loss-making former dairy farm going.

Bolland was given 80 hours community punishment after what the judge described as a 'long and drawn out' prosecution which had cost the Environment Agency £20,000

The defendant, now facing possible repossession of the farm, is his father's principal carer. He was ordered to pay £7,500 towards the costs bill at £500 a calender month as well as £600 legal aid arrears.

Sentencing him, Recorder Timothy Ryder said Bolland had spent a lot of money 'very belatedly', putting things right at the farm, and it was only because of that he was able to impose a non-custodial sentence. Had Bolland not done so, prison would have been the only appropriate penalty.

Rebecca Hirst, defending, said although the farm made a small profit in 1996, it had otherwise been trading at a loss.

It had been kept running by the skip buiness but that was no longer in existence. Bolland was trying to keep the farm going and save it from closing.

The defendant had admitted three offences - depositing, keeping and disposing of controlled waste without a waste management licence on or about June, 1998.

Allegations brought by the Environment Agency against his father were earlier dropped.