Businessman who set fire to building caused A1 pile-up

A BUSINESSMAN caused a pile-up after setting fire to his illegal building in an attempt to save on demolition costs.

Nigel Smith was told by Northumberland County Council that the structure he had built without planning permission would cost £52,000 to tear down so the 63-year-old offered the building at Whittle Colliery, near Shilbottle, Northumberland, to the local fire service, who said it was unsafe.

Weeks later, Smith ignored the concerns and set the building alight, creating a fire so large it distracted drivers on the nearby A1 and caused a crash which injured two people, Newcastle Crown Court heard. It took firefighters four hours to bring the blaze under control, and two people were treated for injuries sustained in the crash.

Smith, of Marsh Close, Goole, East Yorkshire, had wanted to reopen the mine. He pleaded guilty to one count of submitting controlled waste to a listed operation otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit. He was given a 10-month suspended prison sentence, fined £14,000 and told to pay costs of more than £10,000.