Man fined after paying someone to dump his household waste

A man has been fined after paying someone to dump rubbish for him.

David Wayne John paid an unknown person £40 to dump black bags after being told by waste officers to remove them from a trailer.

At Swansea Magistrates’ Court, David Wayne John, 61, of Brookdale Street, Neath, was ordered to pay a total of £858.52 after black bags and household waste were found on land at Derifach Lane, Glynneath earlier this year.

Neath Port Talbot Council waste enforcement officers first spoke to Mr John about a trailer containing the waste in May 2022.

Dumped

Mr John said he would arrange for the waste to be removed but it was later found dumped at Derifach Lane and enforcement officers linked Mr John to the incident.

Mr John admitted paying someone to remove the waste without checking the person was licensed to do so.

He said he did not know the person and no longer had contact information.

Waste enforcement officers also carried out a Natural Resources Wales (NRW) waste permit check and found the land where the waste was deposited did not have a waste management licence.

Mr John pleaded guilty to the Environmental Protection Act offence, for which he was fined £200.

He also admitted breaching a suspended sentence for another, unrelated, offence for which he was fined £50.

Fine

He was also ordered to pay a £34 Victim Impact Surcharge and costs of £574.52.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene, CllrScott Jones, said: “This case highlights the fact that it’s our duty of care where our household waste ends up – don’t get fooled by fly tippers because if your waste is found fly-tipped, both you and the fly-tipper could face enforcement action.

“Fly-tipping blights the environment in our communities so please help us stop this happening.”

People caught fly-tipping in Wales can face a range of enforcement actions including a £400 fixed penalty notice, having their vehicle seized, an unlimited fine in court or imprisonment.”