A JURY has been sworn in to try the case of Lee and David Averies who face a series of charges in connection with their waste businesses.

But after the panel of six women and six men were empanelled at Swindon Crown Court today they were sent home to return on Thursday when the prosecution is due to open its case.

As well as the usual 12 jurors Judge Sir John Royce also appointed two more in case any member of the panel has to drop out when they hear the details of the case.

He told them: “There will be two spare members of the jury who will be asked to stay until the case has been opened to you just in case any problem arises.”

Lee, 46, and David, 39, face six charges in connection with their companies Swindon Skips Ltd, based at Bradley Close, and Averies Recycling, based at Marshgate.

It is alleged that ‘by their consent, connivance or neglect’ between November 2013 and February 2015 they allowed the companies to commit offences contrary to the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

They are said to have kept, treated or disposed of controlled waste on the sites in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health through the effects of odour, waste, leachate run off, smoke and fire, by reason of the site’s poor management, insufficient infrastructure and volume of waste stored on the site.

The brothers are also said to have caused a company to exceed an environmental permit by having excess waste at the Marshgate site between November 2013 and March 2015.

They are further accused of causing a company to contravene an environmental permit in the form of security at both sites in the year up to November 2014.

The final charge alleges the storage of waste outside the geographical area allowed by the permit at Bradley Close between November 2013 and November 2014.

Lee, of The Marsh, Wanborough, and David, of Dydale Road, pleaded not guilty to all six charges.

The case is due to be opened to the jury on Thursday afternoon.