A Church Village man who failed to attend a Fly-tipping Enforcement interview has been fined almost £1000 in his absence at Merthyr Magistrates Court.
William Jones of Station Road, Church Village had been invited to attend an interview under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) in relation to some fly-tipping that had been discovered.
A Streetcare Enforcement Officer discovered a large pile of waste fly tipped at the side of the road at old Roman Road, Ynysybwl. The waste consisted of builders’ waste – plaster board, roofing insulation, roofing felt, timber and floorboards. Following detailed investigation and inquiries, evidence was uncovered that potentially linked the dumped waste to William Jones.
The Streetcare Enforcement Officer invited Mr Jones to attend THREE interviews under PACE and each invite was ignored. This left Rhondda Cynon Taf Council with no choice but to refer the matter to court.
Mr Jones was made aware of the decision and still failed to make contact with the Streetcare team to discuss the matter.
Council Enforcement Officers have legal powers under specific legislation. They can issue fixed penalty notices to individuals and businesses and are able to use a number of means to investigate environment related offences, including PACE interviews. These notices and requests are issued to those who may have carried out or are responsible for certain offences, including waste management and fly-tipping.
By failing to comply with the Notice pursuant to Section 108(4)(c) and (l) of the Environment Act 1995 by not attending a PACE interview when requested and refusing to give information or engage with officers, Mr Jones had therefore committed an offence under Section 110(2) (a) of the Environment Act 1995.
Section 110 of the Environment Act 1995 – It is an offence for a person intentionally to obstruct an authorised person in the exercise or performance of his powers or duties.
The dedicated Streetcare team, play a key role across the County Borough in ensuring that our beautiful valley is kept clean and tidy and free from the mess that fly-tippers create. This latest case highlights the importance of these officers and sends a clear message to the public that their requests need to be followed, or you could find yourself in court. If you are invited to attend an interview and fail to attend, we can and will take action – you can’t escape it.
Mr William Jones was found guilty in his absence at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court on 4th June 2025 for failing to attend a PACE interview – he has been dealt a £440 FINE, £370 costs and £176 victim surcharge, totalling £986!
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure said:
“Fly-tipping will not be tolerated, EVER. There is NEVER an excuse to blight our, towns, lanes, streets and villages with waste, and we will find those responsible and hold them to account – even if they try to ignore us.
“Despite a number of invites, Mr Jones chose to ignore our requests and has now been dealt a substantial fine and a criminal record from the court.
“Our teams work hard to keep our streets and back lanes clean, and fly-tipping of any kind will not be tolerated.”
“We would also remind householders or businesses that if you pay someone, other than the Council, to take your waste away, you should always check they have a waste carrier licence and ask for a waste transfer note. If your waste is fly tipped, you could be fined along with the individual or company you paid to remove it.
“Removal of fly-tipping costs hundreds of thousands of pounds each year, which should be spent on key front-line services at a time when budgets are under significant pressures.
“We will use EVERY power available to us to hold those accountable for their actions. Many of the items we recover on our streets, towns and mountains could have been taken to a Community Recycling Centre or collected from the kerbside at no extra cost.”
