Use ASBOs against bad firms, says regulator

More use should be made of Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) to prevent unhealthy workplace practices, the Environment Agency has said.

The Agency - the only national regulator larger than the Health and Safety Executive - said that criminals are exploiting the public and profiting illegally from various damaging activities.

The first ASBO for environmental crime was issued in 2004, to prevent the owner of a skip and plant hire business from repeatedly burning skips full of rubbish instead of disposing of the waste legally.

"It is encouraging to see the courts using a wider range of sanctions against environmental crime," said Environment Agency chief executive Barbara Young. "Restricting the ability of some persistent offenders to operate may be the only way of protecting the public and the environment from risk. The public damage to reputation of a jail sentence, a community service order or an ASBO may also act as a more effective deterrent than a fine."