A SCRAP company ignored repeated warnings about waste dumped at an unlicensed site it operated, a court was told.

Environment Agency inspectors "bent over backwards" to persuade Cornforth Metals to improve the site at West Cornforth, in County Durham.

But Durham Crown Court was told that on each of three visits, during a 13-month period up to August 1999, inspectors found an increasing number of scrap cars and waste dumped at the Station Yard site, in Station Road.

The company admitted four charges over breaches of waste control regulations, brought by the Environment Agency, at a hearing in May last year.

But after a series of adjourned hearings in the intervening period, it was yesterday fined a total of £4,000 with £3,000 costs by Judge Michael Cartlidge, who said Cornforth Metals had, "tried its hardest to avoid the day when the court will sentence it".

Graham Duff, prosecuting, said it was only on the morning of the previous hearing, last month, that the company paid the £1,500 fee to obtain a waste management licence for the site.

"The company never previously had a licence and this all started off when the county council informed the agency about the growing amount of waste," he said.

"As the months went on, the agency pursued the company to do something about the waste management licence.

"There was, in the agency's view, deliberate procrastination and the number of cars grew and grew.

"The agency doesn't rush to prosecute. It endeavours to resolve matters by agreement to get matters sorted out, but if that doesn't take place then they are left with no option."

Mr Duff said on the inspectors' first visit, in July 1998, there were about 100 scrap cars at the site, but by August the following year there were more than 200, plus other rubble and waste.

The company was represented in court by Graeme Ernest Brown, the son of a director.

He claimed the Environment Agency had, "ruled with a rod of iron", over the issue.

Mr Brown said the company had acted to achieve its waste management licence after being given, a clean bill of health by the agency, making it now, "technically competent"