‘Devon man Christopher Garrett has been jailed for 32 months after he dumped thousands of tonnes of waste, including asbestos, on land by his home, in a floodplain near Kingsteignton in Devon. He was also ordered to pay a Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation sum of over £200,000.

Christopher Garrett buried asbestos in floodplain in what is thought to be the worst offence of its kind in Devon and Cornwall.

Around 12,000 tonnes of controlled mixed construction and demolition waste was deposited on land designated as a floodplain.

Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111′

‘From 1 March until 31 July, birds start breeding, taking advantage of warmer weather, availability of food and nesting materials, making it crucial to give them the space they need.

People and dogs should avoid walking through gorse, heather and other low growing vegetation, because you can easily scare birds or harm birds’ nests. If disturbed repeatedly, birds cannot incubate their eggs or feed their young and nests can be abandoned leaving eggs or chicks exposed to predators.’

Find out more about ‘paws on paths‘ or the Four Paws Code from Devon Loves Dogs.

‘Officers from Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service, accompanied by tobacco detection dogs and Devon & Cornwall Police, searched a location in south Devon. A positive indication by detection dogs led to the discovery of a significant quantity of illegal products.

The seizure, one of the largest to date, consisted of over 18,000 illegal tobacco products (counterfeit and non-duty paid cigarettes and tobacco) and over 2,000 illegal vapes (not compliant for the UK market).’

Note: Government intends to ban single-use vapes from April 2025.

National Highways launches a ‘Litter kills’ campaign.

‘Discarded roadside rubbish and food attract wildlife to their death. Use a bin or wait until you get home.

Animals are attracted to discarded rubbish which brings them closer to the dangers of fast moving traffic.’

On the 29th January, Government announced that disposable vapes will be banned in England, Scotland and Wales as part of plans to create a ‘smokefree generation’.

‘DEFRAs ban will have a positive impact on our environment. 5 million disposable vapes are thrown away each week, up from 1.3 million last year. Over a year this is equivalent to the lithium batteries of 5,000 electric vehicles.

Enforcement of the disposables ban will be carried out through Trading Standards Officers.’

The proposals will also ‘restrict flavours specifically marketed at children, ensuring manufactures produce plainer, less visually appealing packaging’ for reuseable vapes.