Council uses Facebook advert to catch rogue waste carriers

A Welsh council has used a fake Facebook advert to catch unlicensed waste carriers who are often behind fly-tipping and waste-arson offences.

Operation Walt involved a joint “test purchase” by Neath Port Talbot Council Waste Enforcement, Licensing and Trading Standards Officers and South Wales Police.

The team set up a Facebook advertisement calling for licensed waste carriers to supply a quote to remove waste from the Lon Las area.

Along with proactive visits to Builders’ Merchants by council officers in the county borough to advise them of their legal duties, officers left advice leaflets and contact details for them to distribute to their customers and any homeowners who wished to complain about building work at their homes.

Database

Those who responded to the advert on October 16th who were not showing on the Natural Resources Wales/ Environment Agency waste carrier database, were invited to collect the waste and scrap metal at an appointed time.

Two waste carriers attended with one being stopped in his vehicle at Sidings Terrace, Skewen, after taking away the waste from Lon Las in his vehicle.

During the stop police advised the carrier on updating the DVLA regarding his new ownership of the vehicle.

Fine

When questioned why the NRW website showed he did not have a current Waste Carrier licence (WCL), the carrier claimed he had just renewed his Waste Carrier Licence and suggested “it may not have been updated”.

The carrier was reminded further checks would be carried out and he could be facing a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £300 if it was found he had not in fact renewed his licence.

Checks with NRW have confirmed that he had not applied to renew his licence and has now been issued with a £300 FPN.

The second carrier who responded was found by police to be a disqualified driver.

His vehicle was seized and the matter could now go before a Court. Checks with NRW confirmed he was not licenced to carry waste and was issued a £300 FPN.

Justice

Cllr Scott Jones, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene, said: “This multi-agency operation shows the council and its partners are determined to bring to justice anyone who blights the environment in our communities by dumping and sometimes burning waste taken away without the proper licence.”

Operation Walt was carried out as part of Rogue Trader Week during which Neath Port Talbot Council officers also attended local building suppliers providing waste and trading standards advice, and Waste Enforcement Officers spent a day with South Wales Police stopping commercial vehicles in relation to checks on waste carrier licences.