Dumping waste in Redbridge? You risk getting a criminal record and fined thousands: Dry cleaning business fined over £10k for waste dumped in Redbridge Nature Reserve
Published: 28 May 2026
A dry cleaning business was left with a permanent stain after being fined more than £10k over hazardous waste dumped in a Redbridge Nature Reserve
West London based Palm Dry Cleaners Ltd, and its Director Shazia Nadeer, were hit with the hefty fine following a Redbridge Council led prosecution over commercial waste found dumped in Aldborough Hall Nature Reserve.
Following the prosecution the Council warned, businesses who fail to dispose of their commercial waste lawfully will face tough penalties if their rubbish is found dumped in Redbridge.
The court action against Palm Dry Cleaners Ltd, based in King Street, Hammersmith, and its Director Shazia Nadeer, was triggered after an investigation into a large-scale fly-tip, which included hazardous substances, at the Nature Reserve.
Redbridge’s Neighbourhood Enforcement Team were initially alerted to the environmental crime at the popular wildlife site, by the local community.
Arriving at Aldborough Hall Nature Reserve - an extension of Fairlop Waters Country Park, Enforcement Officers were confronted with three large, distinct piles of waste, which sparked a complex multi-strand investigation.
One of the piles of waste at the nature reserve, on Painters Road, Ilford, was found to contain commercial waste including blue dry-cleaning bags, cardboard boxes and plastic chemical bottles.
Amongst this, two large open metal drums were also discovered laying on their sides,
containing remnants of super stabilised perchloroethylene - a chemical used within the dry-cleaning industry.
Super stabilised perchloroethylene is a colourless, hazardous liquid posing health risks to humans, as well as being harmful to the environment - and is required to be disposed of safely and securely.
Empty plastic bottles of ‘Jolly Smak’ – a chemical used in the dry-cleaning process, were also found at the site, posing further environmental risks to the surrounding wildlife.
One of the investigating Enforcement Officers, Ron Clayden, said: “It was a large‑scale, deliberate illegal waste deposit — one of the most complex we’ve encountered within the borough. We spent three days meticulously examining the waste to identify any evidence that would lead to bringing those responsible to account.”
After going through piles of waste in painstaking detail, and further follow-up enquiries, officers established evidence to link the commercial waste to Palm Dry Cleaners Ltd, and Company Director Nadeer.
When questioned by Enforcement Officers, Nadeer was unable to provide verifiable evidence or legal documentation to show how the business disposed of the waste, and what measures it had taken to ensure the waste was being disposed of safely and securely to prevent any leakage or spills.
Nadeer, age 51, and the business were eventually taken to court by the Council and successfully prosecuted for two waste offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990:
- Failure to take all reasonable measures available to them to prevent any contravention by any other person of the deposit of controlled waste.
- Failure to comply with requirements to produce waste transfer notes.
Redbridge Cabinet Member for Enforcement, Community Safety and Cohesion, Cllr Sunny Brar said: “This deplorable violation of our nature reserve is quite rightly being met with the toughest of legal actions. We have zero tolerance for grime crime in Redbridge. All businesses are required to dispose of their commercial waste legally and responsibly and must have the required documentation to demonstrate how they do this. This prosecution should serve as a warning to businesses acting unlawfully that we will use the full weight of the law to secure the toughest sentences if your waste is found dumped in Redbridge.”
Appearing at Barkingside Magistrates Court on Tuesday 12 May, Nadeer pleaded guilty to the environmental offences leading to:
- Nadeer being fined, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge and council costs – all totalling £3,773
- Palm Dry Cleaners Ltd being fined, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge and council costs – all totalling £7,004
Combined, their court-imposed fines and costs totalled £10,777.
Further separate investigations, unrelated to Nadeer or Palm Dry Cleaners Ltd, are also underway regarding the other piles of waste discovered at Aldborough Hall Nature Reserve.
If you spot a fly-tip in the borough you can easily report it online through the council’s Report It page: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/report-it/
All fly tips made known to the council are recorded and investigated, with enforcement action being taken if evidence is found. The council aims to clear all recorded fly-tips on council land and the highway within 24 hours of it being reported. You can also submit evidence of perpetrators or their vehicles on our Report It page which will aid enforcement investigations.
Alternatively, you can also report a variety of issues, from untidy front gardens and fly-tips, to missed bin collections, potholes and more at the touch of a button through our Love Clean Streets App. Find out more: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/report-it/love-clean-streets-app
