A Welshpool man who paid an unlicensed waste collector to dispose of his waste, which ended up being fly-tipped at a village hall, has been prosecuted by Powys County Council.

Mr Danny Warner, of Oldford Estate, Welshpool, appeared before Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, May 22, in a prosecution led by the council’s Waste Awareness and Enforcement team.

Magistrates heard that a large amount of rubbish was found fly-tipped at Llandrinio Village Hall in the summer of 2018. The council’s waste awareness and enforcement team investigated and traced the waste back to a Welshpool household.

Interviewed under caution, the defendant admitted that he paid an unlicensed waste collector £15 to clear his front garden of black bags of general waste and bulky household waste items, including children’s furniture, without taking reasonable steps to verify that the person was an authorised registered waste carrier.

Warner pleaded guilty to the offence under Section 34 2(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and associated Waste (Household Waste Duty of Care) (England and Wales) Regulations 2005.

He was fined £200 for the offence and ordered to pay £200 costs and a victim surcharge of £30.

Cllr Phyl Davies, Cabinet Member for Highways, Recycling and Assets, said: “We are stepping up our enforcement activities to clamp down on the blight anti-social and criminal fly-tipping.

“This case goes to highlight that we all have a legal ‘duty of care’ to dispose of our waste professionally. Residents may find their household waste gets fly tipped if they use illegal waste collectors.

“In this case it was clear that for £15 to clear a van load of waste the waste would almost certainly end up being fly-tipped because the disposal costs alone for that volume of rubbish would be several times that amount alone.

“We advise residents to only ever use a professional authorised waste carrier or local authority service to dispose of their waste.”

  • For information on how to comply with your duty of care visit www.dutyofcare.wales.