Fly-tippers ordered to pay nearly £7,000 after dumping cannabis farm waste

Mark Mansfield

Five men have been ordered to pay a combined total of almost £7,000 after waste linked to a cannabis farm was illegally dumped in a forest.

The fly-tipping incident happened at Rheola Forest near Resolven in the Neath Valley, where Natural Resources Wales discovered a large quantity of waste on its land and launched an investigation.

Investigators later found correspondence within the dumped material, helping to identify those responsible.

Neath Port Talbot Council brought the prosecutions following an investigation which combined documentary evidence, CCTV footage, witness accounts and interviews.

Four of the defendants admitted offences at an earlier hearing at Swansea Magistrates’ Court in February, while a fifth was convicted following a trial in May.

Anthony Jones, 32, of Wheatley Road, Neath, was found guilty of failing to ensure waste was disposed of lawfully.

The court heard that Ian Jenkins, 39, of no fixed abode, had also failed in his duty of care regarding the disposal of the waste.

Keiron Powell, 29, and Darcy Thomas, 30, both of Greenwood Road, Neath, pleaded guilty to unlawfully depositing controlled waste and transporting waste without a waste carrier’s licence.

Stephen John Powell, 54, also of Greenwood Road, admitted allowing a vehicle under his control to be used to unlawfully deposit controlled waste.

The five defendants were ordered to pay a combined total of £6,822 in fines, costs and victim surcharges.

Keiron Powell and Darcy Thomas each received financial penalties totalling £1,830, while Anthony Jones was ordered to pay £1,406.

Ian Jenkins was ordered to pay £944 and Stephen Powell £812.

The court also ordered that the vehicle used in the fly-tipping operation be forfeited to Neath Port Talbot Council. The local authority is now considering what action to take, including the possibility of crushing the vehicle.

Councillor Scott Jones, Neath Port Talbot Council’s cabinet member for streetscene, said the case demonstrated that everyone involved in illegal waste disposal could face consequences.

He said: “We have beautiful areas of forestry and countryside throughout Neath Port Talbot and people should be able to enjoy them responsibly without encountering dangerous deposits like this.

“We hope this sends a strong message that regardless of how minor you think your role is in the illegal disposal of waste, you will still be held responsible.”

Unacceptable

James Roseblade, land management senior officer at NRW, said: “Illegal waste disposal continues to be a serious and unacceptable blight on our communities, our environment and our economy.

“Tackling this activity and bringing perpetrators to account remains one of our highest priorities.”

He added: “Waste crime takes many forms, operating at different scales, and costs businesses, landowners and taxpayers millions of pounds each year.

“We welcome the court’s decision in this case and hope it sends a clear message that waste-related crime will not be tolerated.”