An investigation into a man who who targeted Ipswich residents by falsely telling them he was authorised to take away harmful asbestos will feature on a BBC One show. 

The probe into Lee Charles, who was handed a suspended sentence in March, will feature on Defenders: Busting the Bad Guys at 10am on Friday. 

The 40-year-old from Grantham in Lincolnshire claimed he was registered to remove the dangerous material to gain lucrative jobs. 

He targeted 40 towns and cities across the UK, including Ipswich and Norwich. 

Having duped his customers, Charles stored the asbestos in hired storage containers at Welbourn, in Lincolnshire, 200 metres from a school and close to a Girl Guide centre.

Charles told the owners of the storage space he wanted to keep tools there.

When he failed to pay the rent on the containers, the owners forced the locks and were confronted with the dangerous contents.

During the programme the presenters of the show try and hunt down Charles. 

Speaking after the sentencing in March Paul Salter, an environmental waste crime officer for the Environment Agency, said: “Lee Charles’ crimes were not just illegal, but dangerous.

“In spite of repeated warnings and advice from the Environment Agency, Lincs Demolition, under Charles’ direction, put both the environment and public health at risk.

“Asbestos causes serious health problems when inhaled, and its careless storage presents a significant hazard, with a risk to the life.

“With Charles failing to pay for appropriate staff training and safe storage among other liabilities, Lincs Demolition avoided business costs of at least £50,000.

“All waste businesses must have the correct permits in place to protect themselves, the environment and the public. We support operators trying to do the right thing, only issuing enforcement notices and penalising businesses as a last resort.”