A TRADER from Abergavenny has been made to pay £946 for fly tipping household rubbish at the roadside in Pontypool.

Philip Hatch, 28, of Llanelly Hill, Abergavenny, advertised grass cutting and waste removal services door to door in Blaenavon in July 2016, and charged a resident £40 to remove a van load of household and garden waste.

The rubbish was later found dumped on common land off Varteg Road in Pontypool.

Hatch admitted to dumping the rubbish and confirmed that he did not have a waste carriers license to allow to collect and dispose of waste legally.

His case was heard at Cwmbran Magistrates Court on Monday May 8 where he was prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, fined £220 and made to pay compensation of £342, additional costs of £354.05, and a victim surcharge of £30.

Duncan Smith, Torfaen’s chief officer for neighbourhoods, planning and public protection, said: “This was a blatant act of fly tipping in broad day light that shows a total disregard for the law, the environment, and local residents.

“Criminals like Mr Hatch undermine legitimate waste removal businesses, pose a risk to their clients who can be fined up to £5000 for using an unregistered waste carrier, and cost the tax payer in Torfaen around £120,000 a year.

“This prosecution sends a clear message to any would be fly tippers that this will not be tolerated in Torfaen. I would also urge anyone using a waste removal company to check that they are authorised to take waste from your property before handing over any money.”

Householders are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that anyone removing waste from their property is authorised to do so. Authorised waste carriers can be checked with National Resources Wales via naturalresources.wales or by calling 0300 065 3000, or by contacting Torfaen council’s public health team on 01633 648095. They are also advised to keep copies of any paper work provided.

Fly tipping can be reported confidentially to the council via www.torfaen.gov.uk, through the Torfaen app, or by calling 01495 762200.

Further information on the work that local councils and other agencies in Wales are undertaking to combat fly tipping can be found by visiting the Fly Tipping Action Wales website www.flytippingactionwales.org