A TIP worker who caused more than £300,000 worth of damage by driving a digger into a just-reopened recycling centre has been jailed for three years.

Trevor Lewis, 59, was an employee at the Eastwood Recycling Centre, near Todmorden, when he went on the rampage in July.

Before the incident the SITA-owned site, off Halifax Road, had been the subject of major refurbishments costing £600,000 and had only reopened to the public in January.

Lewis claimed that the constant walking up and down newly-installed stairs to reach the skips had aggravated an existing knee condition and he had been depressed at the time of the episode.

He used a digger to destroy large parts of the site and also set a temporary building on fire, Bradford Crown Court was told.

Lewis, of Mayrood Moorings, Hebden Bridge, admitted criminal damage and was jailed by Judge David Hatton QC. The site remains closed and Todmorden residents have been forced to use facilities at Sowerby Bridge or Halifax instead.

Speaking after the case Jan Lamping, senior crown prosecutor for the area, said: “This act of wanton vandalism caused an estimated £300,000 damage to the site, as well as some damage to a neighbouring property.

“It has also resulted in considerable inconvenience to local residents while the site is closed for rebuilding.

"Today Lewis has been sentenced to three years in prison which I hope will demonstrate how seriously this type of crime is viewed by the police, by the CPS, and by the courts.”