Newsquest Lancashire has been fined £2,000 after more than 2,000 copies of its free weekly, the Preston & Leyland Citizen, were found dumped on council land, writes Dominic Ponsford.
The Environment Agency started an investigation after copies of the paper dated between August 2003 and January 2004 were found.
Newsquest Lancashire pleaded guilty to the charge of dumping waste without a licence and in addition to the fine was charged £931.79 in costs.
Related
Managing director Brenda Rudge said: “In pleading guilty, Newsquest (Lancashire) Ltd accepted responsibility for the actions of its employees.
“While procedures were followed to exclude the dumped copies from the title’s verified free distribution figures, other internal procedures were not followed through.
“Newsquest deeply regrets this isolated incident. However, while every effort is made to ensure an efficient and effective distribution network at all times, it is difficult to legislate for misconduct by a very small minority.
Content from our partners
“Following thorough investigations, additional safeguards have been introduced by the company.”
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
