Two businesses have been fined a total of £2,230 for failing to prove how they got rid of their rubbish.

Barking and Dagenham Council officers visited OM Engineers UK, a car repairs shop in Ripple Road, Barking in a routine trade waste inspection in August 2017.

Shop owner, Saju Miah, 36, failed to produce waste transfer notes for his general and recycled rubbish, used car parts, waste engine oil and used tyres. He claimed he had only recently taken over the firm.

Businesses must keep copies of the notes for up to two years to prove they are lawfully disposing of waste.

But Miah was rumbled after officers found he was responsible for the waste removal for two years and had been the director of a previous company trading at the same address.

He was given a fixed penalty notice of £300 but after he failed to pay he was summoned to court.

Miah was found guilty and ordered to pay a £200 fine, £30 victim surcharge and £354 costs to the council at Barkingside Magistrates Court on March 1.

Cllr Margaret Mullane, cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said: “The council takes a strong view on any business that will not act according to the laws and cannot produce waste transfer notes on demand.

“Businesses must ensure that they lawfully dispose of their waste - they are responsible for ensuring that the person who takes away their waste is authorised to do so and they must keep records.”

In a separate case, council officers visited King Pizza & Kebab in Wood Lane, Dagenham, and asked the business to produce notes for their general, recycled and oil waste last August.

After the business failed to provide them it was fined £300. When it failed to pay the fine, it was summoned to court.

The company was found guilty and ordered the business to pay a £1,000 fine, a £100 victim surcharge and £546 costs to the council in a hearing at Barkingside Magistrates Court on March 1.

Cllr Mullane said: “We always welcome and encourage businesses but it is important they follow the right guidelines.

“These two cases show businesses in our borough who fail to comply with the law on waste management will face heavy fines.”