AN illegal scrap metal dealer who was caught operating without a licence has been ordered to pay up more than a thousand pounds by the courts.

Tiberius Tafui was spotted by Warrington Borough Council enforcement officers driving a vehicle carrying scrap metal.

But when he was stopped, the 30-year-old admitted he was collecting scrap metal without a licence.

Tafui, from Manchester, was found guilty of operating as a scrap metal dealer without a licence in his absence at Warrington Magistrates Court on Wednesday, August 14.

He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £525 plus a £100 victim surcharge.

Cllr Judith Guthrie, Warrington Borough Council’s executive board member for environment and public protection, said: “This prosecution should serve as a warning – if you collect scrap metal in Warrington without a licence, you face a substantial fine.

“We will continue to protect our residents and our environment by taking enforcement action against unlawful traders.

“By ignoring rules that are in place to protect the public and prevent crime, the actions of individuals like Mr Tafui also undermine legitimate scrap metal collectors operating within our borough.

“Collecting scrap metal without a licence is unacceptable and, as I hope this case shows, the council will not tolerate this kind of blatant disregard for the law.”