Fly-tipper caught on CCTV fined after dumping waste near railway station

A Port Talbot man has been ordered to pay more than £1,000 after admitting a late-night fly-tipping offence near the town’s railway station.

Steven Gilheaney, 28, of Radnor House in Sandfields, pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on 19 February 2026 to illegally depositing controlled waste, contrary to Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The court heard that on 11 July 2025 a Waste Enforcement Officer from Neath Port Talbot Council was called to land near Cramic Way following reports of a large quantity of dumped rubbish.

The waste included construction materials, a vehicle bumper and household refuse.

Among the items discovered was a letter linking the waste to an address in Briton Ferry. Investigators visited the property, where a male tenant admitted paying a man named Steven Gilheaney to remove rubbish and provided officers with details of the arrangement.

CCTV footage later confirmed that a vehicle had travelled up Cramic Way carrying waste at 11.55pm on 10 July 2025 before returning seven minutes later without it.

On 25 September 2025, enforcement officers saw Mr Gilheaney driving the same vehicle while collecting scrap metal and seized it as part of their investigation.

He was interviewed under caution on 2 October 2025 but gave “no comment” responses to questions put to him.

Sentencing Mr Gilheaney, magistrates ordered him to pay £787.92 in compensation to cover the council’s waste clearance costs, a £200 fine and an £80 victim surcharge — a total of £1,067.92.

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence under the Environmental Protection Act and can carry significant financial penalties and, in serious cases, imprisonment.

Firm action

Councillor Scott Jones, Cabinet Member for Streetscene at Neath Port Talbot Council, said the authority would continue to take firm action against environmental crime.

“Neath Port Talbot Council has a strong record of environmental enforcement, especially when it comes to prosecuting fly-tippers,” he said.

“We have a variety of measures in place to catch culprits. Our Waste Enforcement Officers will continue working hard to hold anyone guilty of fly-tipping to account.”

The council has previously urged residents to ensure that anyone they pay to remove waste is properly licensed, warning that householders can also face penalties if their rubbish is illegally dumped.