THE directors of a recycling company which allowed polluting waste to seep into the soil in Caerwent have been told they are likely to have to pay back at least £90,000.

Jaqueline Powell, 59, of Manor Way, Cardiff, and Jonathan Westwood, 39, of Huntsman Chase, Preston, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing today.

The two, former directors of Wormtech Ltd, previously avoided going to prison after liquid containing salmonella and E.coli escaped from a building at the site, owned by the Ministry of Defence.

Wormtech’s licence to compost up to 75,000 tons of food waste there was suspended in 2012.

The hearing today was to decide how much the directors personally benefited, as well as to decide on compensation.

Prosecutor Timothy Evans said clean-up costs were £600,000 as the Environment Agency (now Natural Resources Wales) had to step in to remove the liquid waste.

Judge Neil Bidder said there was a distinction to be made between “drug dealers and business people who behaved very badly with regards their obligations.”

He has not yet made a final order but said he judged Powell had benefitted by £60,000 and Westwood had benefitted by £30,000, from “general criminal conduct”.

Counsel could not agree on the issue of compensation and the case was put back until July 8.

The defence queried the clean-up costs saying it may have been possible to get a better deal, and there was also debate about the total assets owned by the defendants.

Powell, the primary director, was found guilty in January last year of allowing the company to store or dispose of waste “in a manner likely to cause pollution to the environment or harm to human health” and two counts of failing to comply with an environmental permit as a company director.

Westwood admitted three counts of failing to comply with an environmental permit.

Powell was given three concurrent sentences of 12 months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and told to complete 250 hours’ unpaid work. She was disqualified from managing a company for five years.

Westwood received three concurrent sentences of 32 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 150 hours’ unpaid work. He was disqualified from managing a company for three years.

Proceeding.