A resident from Ferndale has been ordered to pay more than £1,700 after she was caught fly-tipping on six separate occasions at the same location – with CCTV evidence provided by the Council used in court.
The defendant appeared at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, April 21, in relation to fly tipping offences which took place last year.
On April 20, 2020, Council enforcement officers found a total of 25 bags of dumped waste at a location in Ferndale. Upon inspection, the waste contained evidence which indicated who the waste belonged to.
After it was apparent that fly tipping was becoming an issue at this location at the start of the pandemic, the Council deployed a covert camera there. The CCTV subsequently recorded a woman dumping eight bags of waste on five further occasions – on May 1, May 3, May 6, May 8 and May 12, 2020.
Council enforcement officers then got in touch with the woman after identifying her through the DVLA’s records, using the number plate of her car.
She was interviewed under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, when she admitted fly tipping the waste on all six separate occasions. The Council chose to prosecute her under Section 33(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 – which led to the court proceedings on April 21, 2021.
In court, the Ferndale resident was fined £320 for each offence on each of the following dates – on April 20, May 3 and May 12. She was also ordered to pay £650 costs and a victim surcharge of £96 – and was therefore ordered to pay a total of £1,706.
A spokesperson for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said: “The Council is pleased with the outcome of the court proceedings, which reinforces its clear message that fly tipping is unacceptable. It has a detrimental impact on the environment around us and on people’s health, and is costly to clear up and investigate – reflected in the significant costs the defendant must now pay.
“This case also shows that the Council will not hesitate to fully-investigate incidents of fly tipping and other waste offences, which could lead to the prosecution of those people who are responsible.”
