Acton Barber Fined for Cutting Corners

After Council officers combed through black sacks

A hairdressing salon owner has been hit with a hefty fine after bags of human hair from his shop were found illegally dumped in the street, following an investigation by Ealing Council’s envirocrime officers.

Andy Okolo, director of Actife Gents Hair Studio Ltd, in High Street, Acton, was found guilty of three waste offences in his absence at Acton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 22 October. He was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £2,117.93 court costs.

Officers initially discovered black sacks outside the shop in January 2008. When they combed through the bags they discovered the human hair. Okolo was warned about disposing of waste correctly and having the proper agreements in place and he joined the council’s commercial waste scheme. However, rubbish was spotted dumped outside the shop in black bags again in September and October, and a barber’s chair was discarded on the street in November 2008.

Councillor Sue Emment, Cabinet Member for Envrionment and Street Services, said: “The council’s envirocrime officers work hard to ensure the borough’s streets are clean and I am really pleased that their efforts paid off when this ended in court. Officers gave this man the opportunity to clean up his act and make sure all rubbish was disposed of properly and he ignored their warnings. We will not just sit by and allow for this kind of behaviour to go on.”

October 28, 2009