Council orders jeweller to throw away £2,000 of gold dust... because it is 'commercial waste'



A jeweller has been threatened with a fine and ordered to take £2,000 worth of gold dust to the tip because it is regarded as commercial waste.

John Doble was ordered to take the dust to a tip and threatened with a £5,000 fine if the dust is found among his rubbish collection.



Mr Doble collects tiny gold particles from the floor and benches of his workshop and sells it to a special dealer for approximately £2,000-a-year.

John Doble was ordered by a council to take his gold dust to a tip as it is considered commercial waste

The Doble Jewellery business has been in the family since 1918 and for 90 years they use a hoover or broom to sweep up the valuable dust for sale.



But his local authority has now ruled the gold dust is commercial waste and asked for proof that he disposes of it properly.



Council officers have accused him of putting it in his normal collections, despite telling them that he sells the dust.

Mr Doble, 50, said he has been 'bombarded' with letters and visits from council officials and threatened him with a £5,000 fine unless he complies.

He said: 'I am being constantly hassled because they can't understand why I don't put gold shavings in the rubbish bin. It's completely bonkers.

The valuable gold dust, which is worth £2,000, is hoovered up and sold

'I've written to them and explained that we recycle the gold shavings from the workshop floor.

'But they don't believe me. They think I put it in the normal bin and are demanding I leave the gold in bags for them to take to a landfill site.'



Mr Doble, who runs two businesses in Torquay and Devon, sells a range of antique and modern gold jewellery.

A spokesman for Torbay District Council said it is legally required to monitor the transfer of any commercial waste, including hazardous material under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

He said: 'This includes businesses who have chosen to dispose of their waste by means other than the council's commercial collection service.

'If the council does not have any details on how a business is disposing of its commercial waste it has a duty to investigate the situation.'