A “bottle digger” who uprooted trees while hunting for antique glassware in a wood has been fined more than £3,000.
Jack Cosgrove used a mini digger to dig up an area of woodland near Irma Street, in Bolton. Several trees were felled and damaged at the site, which was formerly a tip.
Bolton council officers were forced to fill in the holes left behind by Cosgrove, who was caught after a resident took a video of him and the vehicle.
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He pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Manchester Magistrates Court on October 20 and was ordered to pay £3,098.28 in compensation along with a £768 fine. Cosgrove must also complete 40 hours of unpaid work.
Bottle digging is generally the excavation of areas of historical tipping, with the aim of finding Victorian antique bottles which can be worth up to £100. Typically, bottle diggers use shovels or other hand tools.
Coun Nadim Muslim, Bolton council's Executive Cabinet Member for Environmental Services said: “Digging around public footpaths uproots trees and creates dangerous large holes as well as leaving broken glass.
“As well as representing a danger to the public, there is significant cost to the council in repairing the damage.
“This is a dangerous and illegal activity, and we hope the outcome of this court case sends a clear message that bottle digging will not be tolerated.”
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