A MECHANIC faces a possible jail sentence after Environment Agency officers caught him burning asbestos and other waste.

James Herman Johnson, 51, kept scrap cars and other waste on land near York for years, against regulations, York magistrates heard.

After the officers' visit, he removed the asbestos, engine oil and other rubbish, and refused to tell them where he had put it.

When the officials returned to the site a few months later, he again had old vehicles and other waste there.

Johnson, of Acomb Road, York, pleaded guilty to three charges of dumping controlled waste without a licence and one of failing to comply with the requirement of a notice served under the Environmental Protection Act.

Magistrates adjourned his case for a pre-sentence report, warning him the bench would consider jailing him when he returns to court on September 6.

They said he had carried out his actions over seven years, had ignored warnings, acted deliberately, and allowed others to dump vehicles on the land which he had left insecure and made no attempt to tidy up.

For the agency, Ruth Rochester said its officers found at least nine vehicles in a state of disrepair, tyres and engine fuel on land called Springbank, near Hessay, off the A59 York to Harrogate road, on June 7, 2000.

They kept the site under observation and on June 12, accompanied by police, they surprised Johnson driving a JCB and shovelling items into a fire on the site.

Tests revealed the burning waste included asbestos.

Johnson gave a false name and claimed he was working for the owner.

Some time later, officers noted that the asbestos and the majority of the cars and scrap had been removed from the site.

But when they served a formal notice on Johnson to make him tell them where he had put the scrap and asbestos, he refused to do so.

On October 4, officers again found that the site contained waste, tyres, scrap and vehicles.

For Johnson, Peter Tetlow said that he believed the land was his, until the agency investigated its ownership and found it belonged to the Crown.

For the last seven years, Johnson had worked as a self-employed motor mechanic, storing cars to use for spare parts.

The asbestos had been part of roofing of a building on the site which had fallen off and thus become scrap.

He did not realise that he was breaking the law in the way he dealt with the garage rubbish.

Updated: 11:33 Friday, August 10, 2001