TWO men have been ordered to pay more than £7,000 between them, for carrying controlled waste without a proper licence.

The men were caught in Erith during a joint operation by the Met Police and Environment Agency (EA) who are cracking down on illegal waste carriers and searching for potential stolen metals.

Issac Ngalle, aged 48, of Glimpsing Green, Thamesmead, was driving a white Ford box van in Manor Road, Erith, when he was stopped in October last year.

When officers opened the back of the van they found it full of filing cabinets, chairs and other items from office clearances.

Because he was suspected of carrying controlled waste without a licence, Mr Ngalle was interviewed at the roadside by an EA official.

Mr Ngalle said he had been paid to remove the scrap as part of his own business and said he was taking it to the European Metal Recycling site in Manor Road.

Later that day, the team stopped a yellow Ford Transit tipper van in Ray Lamb Way, Erith, being driven by Michael Ashley of Waltham Close, Orpington.

The back of the vehicle was filled with mainly scrap metal and aluminium light fittings, which he was taking to a company on the Darent industrial estate.

Because of the quantity of scrap, Mr Ashley was also interviewed at the roadside.

Mr Ashley agreed he was carrying the scrap as part of his business, but said he was not aware he needed a licence.

Both men were advised to register and given a leaflet on how to do it.

But two months later, a check revealed neither man had registered and both were then prosecuted at Bexley Magistrates Court.

Mr Ngalle was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,280 costs while Mr Ashley was fined a similar amount with £1,695 costs.

Both were also ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge.