A shop owner in Dagenham has been fined for a second time for failing to prove how he got rid of his business waste.

Nsubidi Batuba, who owns Friends of arts & silversmith in Lodge Avenue, also cheekily tried to hide a bag of rubbish when council inspectors visited his shop.

Barkingside Magistrates' Court heard the businessman was asked to show his Waste Transfer Notes for his general and recycled waste for the previous year but was unable to do so.

Instead he tried to hide his refuse and told officers he had already been fined before.

He was given an on-the-spot fine of £300 but after he failed to pay it he was taken to court.

Businesses must keep copies of their Waste Transfer Notes for up to two years to prove they are lawfully disposing of their waste.

Last week he was fined a total of £1,385 for failing to provide records that showed how it disposed of its waste.

He had previously been fined £1,433 for the same offence.

Councillor Margaret Mullane, cabinet member for enforcement and community Safety, said: "Businesses have a legal responsibility to dispose of their waste properly - they must ensure that the person who takes away their waste is authorised to do so and they must keep records.

"Every business in Barking and Dagenham must dispose of waste properly and safely to ensure it doesn't cause any harm to health or pollute and spoil our environment.

"We're working hard to crack down on businesses that shirk their responsibilities on waste management, including persistent offenders. This case clearly shows that any business that flouts the law will face heavy fines."