A company has been fined £5,000 for illegally dumping clinical waste on a landfill site.

Onyx UK Ltd, which operates the refuse contract in St Leonards and Hastings, was also ordered to pay £746.82 costs by magistrates.

The company had pleaded guilty to depositing the waste at Pebsham landfill site, near Hastings.

The prosecution brought by the Environment Agency said that on January 5 this year officers found 20 clinical waste sharp bins, for used needles, and three yellow plastic sacks marked Clinical waste - incineration only.

Hastings Magistrates' Court heard yesterday that a letter was sent to Onyx bosses calling for a formal interview to discuss the dumping but they declined, saying it had been carried out by a casual worker with insufficient training.

Further letters were sent but although Onyx acknowledged responsibility it felt there was no need to attend a formal interview.

In mitigation, the firm said it had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had carried out an internal investigation as a result of the incident.

The company pointed out no environmental harm had been done and the waste had since been removed and incinerated, with new staff now being trained properly.

After the case the agency's solicitor, Dan Wiley, said: "There are strict rules concerning the disposal of clinical waste and companies which are licensed to carry it have a duty to take proper responsibility.

"The presence of this material at Pebsham was considered to be a potential hazard to site operatives and although there was no environmental impact on this occasion, the risk was clearly there."

A spokesman for Onyx declined to comment.