A MAN who dug holes and filled them with human waste in a bid to prevent council officials from clearing his property has been sent to prison after failing to comply with a number of injunctions made by a court.

Stuart Allen, 53, started storing, distributing and recycling vegetable oil at Keepers Paddock in Middlemarsh, near Sherborne. The only lawful use of the land was agriculture.

As a result of Allen's actions, his land - and his neighbours' land - was contaminated.

In 2013, council officials issued a planning enforcement notice against Allen requiring him to cease residential and business use of the land and remove all items associated with his business.

He failed to act on the notice and in October 2015, an injunction was granted by the courts. This required Allen to comply with the enforcement notice.

However, Allen, of no fixed abode, continued to live on the land occasionally. He also continued to store oils and numerous containers at the site.

In June last year, frustrated council officials took action to clear the land themselves at a cost of £64,553.45.

Allen stymied the officials by digging holes and filling them with oil and human waste.

It was then that the council took legal action against Allen, and in December 2016 he appeared before the High Court charged with contempt of court. Proceedings were adjourned twice as Allen wasn't represented.

Finally, on November 21 of this year, he was sent to prison for four months after an appearance at Salisbury High Court.

His legal representatives did not challenge the evidence brought by West Dorset District Council, and the judge found the council had proved the breaches.

The court heard Allen is illiterate. However, the judge said Allen knew what he was required to do and so knowingly disobeyed court orders for two years, at significant cost to the public.