TORFAEN homeowners could face a fine of up to £5,000 if waste belonging to them is illegally dumped through unlicensed carriers and trades personnel.

The legal responsibility lies with the householder to arrange the correct collection and removal of waste and two thirds of illegally disposed of waste comes from residential areas.

Torfaen council is reminding residents that before allowing anyone to remove waste on their behalf, they should ask to see a current waste carrier license.

“Many people will pay someone to dispose of their rubbish in good faith, but it ends up getting dumped illegally,” said cllr John Cunningham, executive member for neighbourhood services.

“Not only does it cost the council money to remove but the householder themselves could end up with a huge fine.

“Always check to see if a trader is registered to carry waste, or consider using the council’s bulky waste collection service, the household waste recycling centre, or contacting a charity to dispose of items of furniture,” he added.

All registered waste carriers can be verified on the Natural Resources Wales webpage wastecarriersregistration.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk or by calling 0300 065 3000.

Torfaen council has its own bulky item collection service, which can be found online at torfaen.gov.uk, using the Torfaen app or by calling 01495 762200.