Conman who tricked customers over asbestos removal in Oakham and Peterborough avoids jail
Lee Charles targeted customers all over the country - despite having no permits to carry out the work
Last updated 23rd May 2023
A conman who defrauded customers in Oakham, Peterborough and across the East of England over the removal of asbestos from buildings has been ordered to pay back £81,200 to victims.
40 year old Lee Charles, of Grantham in Lincolnshire, previously admitted lying to customers and using false paperwork to hide his crimes.
He was handed a suspended prison sentence, but was taken to Lincoln Crown Court by the Environment Agency to try to recover some of his ill-gotten-gains.
Charles ran a demolition company for two years, claiming his was qualified to remove hazardous waste from contruction sites.
In fact, he had not legal permits to carry out the work.
Once ripping the asbestos out of the buildings, he placed it into a storage container in Welbourn, Lincolnshire, just 200m from a school.
His deception was discovered when he stopped paying to rent the container. The owner then broke the locks and found it was filled with potentially carcinogenic waste.
Paul Salter, an officer at the Environment Agency, said: "Lee Charles' crimes were not just illegal, but dangerous.
"He has been ordered to pay back, and this sends out a clear message to others who flout the law that waste crime does not pay."
The use of asbestos in construction was banned in the UK in 1999 - it can potentially cause cancer in those who handle it.