THE owner of a skip hire firm created a potential hazard of "extreme danger" when he stored asbestos at his High Wycombe site.

Nicholas Judge, who runs Clear Up Skips, was fined almost £2,500 after he admitted breaching safety regulations by storing the hazardous substance on land near Cryers Hill.

The 35-year-old, of Jubilee Road, Stokenchurch, also pleaded to a charge of transporting the asbestos sheets without proper authorisation from the Environment Agency.

Janet Fedrick, prosecuting, told Wycombe Magistrates' Court, that Judge's actions created a potential hazard of "extreme danger" if the asbestos had become crushed or broken.

"There was great concern because asbestos is hazardous waste which needs to be stored in specially designed containers at properly licensed sites," she added.

The court heard how the asbestos was exposed during the demolition of a garage at an address in Coleshill, near Amersham.

Judge, a sole trader with more than six years' experience in waste removal, had collected the asbestos in one of his 50 skips last August.

Mrs Fedrick added: "It should have then gone straight to a special waste site in Swindon, but Judge, in his wisdom, decided to move it to his own site.

"He said he moved it in the back of his car and put it into another skip, but he didn't have the necessary licence."

Andrew Wiseman, defending, said Judge was intending to take it to the correct registered landfill site, but was under the impression there was a three-week wait.

"He didn't want to leave it at the building site and moved it to his own site which is fenced and has security cameras," said Mr Wiseman.

Mr Wiseman said Judge had gained no financial benefit from what he did, but was very sorry for his actions and had learnt his lesson.

John Sweetman, chair of the bench, ordered Judge to pay £1,200 for keeping the asbestos and a further £1,200 for not having the proper consignment note.

Judge was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,430.

Angie Willis, from the Environment Agency, said: "We treat all cases like this with concern and Mr Judge had breached the legislation. These controls are in place to protect the environment and human health and the magistrates' decision shows they view these matters very seriously."