Woman ordered to pay £1,600 after ignoring fly-tipping investigators

Nation.Cymru Staff

A woman has been ordered to pay more than £1,600 after repeatedly failing to cooperate with a council investigation into fly-tipped waste discovered near a reservoir.

Enforcement officers from Neath Port Talbot Council were called to Bryn Road near Cwm Wernderi Reservoir on 10 June, where five black bags were discovered, containing a mixture of household waste, children’s toys and clothing.

Evidence led officers to Danielle Rigdon of Sandfields, Port Talbot and several attempts were made to contact her, including telephone calls, written correspondence, a home visit and invitations to attend formal interviews.

When those efforts failed, Ms Rigdon was served with a Notice under Section 108(4)(c) and (j) of the Environment Act 1995.

This means she was legally required to attend Neath Civic Centre at the given time and date, or contact the officer directly to arrange a suitable date to attend.

However, Ms Rigdon failed to comply with the notice and did not respond to further attempts to contact her.

As such, on 29 October at Swansea Magistrates’ Court Ms Rigdon was found guilty of failing to comply with the Notice and was fined £660.

She was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £264 and costs of £713.50, bringing the total amount payable to £1637.50.

Councillor Carl Jordan, Cabinet Member for Streetscene at Neath Port Talbot Council, said: “Our officers made several attempts to contact Ms Rigdon, offering her opportunities to engage with the investigation. These chances were ignored.

“Environmental notices are an important part of our efforts to investigate fly-tipping and other waste offences. Failing to comply with a lawful notice is a serious matter and, as this case shows, can result in prosecution.”

Neath Port Talbot residents can check their nearest recycling centre, book a slot, and report fly-tipping through their myNPT account here or via the Neath Port Talbot Council website.