A BRADFORD businessman has been fined £2,000 for failing to remove a huge pile of rubbish blocking a fire escape.

Mohamed Said Esmail Raja, of Woodend Court, in West Bowling, was ordered to remove the rubbish by Kirklees Council in November from his Weathershield Windows premises in Well Lane, Batley.

The council first contacted Raja to remove the unsightly pile of rubbish, consisting of window and door frames, in June 2018.

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He was given until January 9 to remove it, but the eyesore was still there when officers visited the business last week.

Raja was found guilty of not complying with a Remedial Order at Kirklees Magistrates' Court on March 14.

He did not attend but was found guilty by the Magistrate in his absence and sentenced to a £2,000 fine, £170 surcharge and £300 costs.

Karl Battersby, Director of Economy and Infrastructure at Kirklees Council, said: “We have a very clear standard we expect people to meet in Kirklees and if you’re not doing your bit to keep our borough tidy we will not hesitate to take action.

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“People who want to do business in Kirklees must operate professionally. Dumping rubbish in this way is not only a blight on our borough but it puts people’s lives in danger.

“In this particular case the owner of this business was given plenty of time to act and clear the pile of rubbish but failed to do so. He has shown total disregard towards the council, health and safety and the legal process.

“Kirklees is a great place to live, work and do business and we all have a part to play in keeping it safe, clean and tidy.”

Kirklees Council will continue to pursue the business until the rubbish is cleared up.