Fixed Penalty Notices issued for fly-tipping incidents in Barry
Three people have been issued with Fixed Penalty Notices for fly-tipping following an investigation by Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Enforcement Officers from the Council’s Waste Crime Unit have been investigating three separate fly-tipping incidents, in Barry town centre, since April.
Each of the incidents involved large amounts of household waste being unlawfully dumped in rear access lanes in the Castleland and Court wards.
Officers found evidence in all three incidents and the suspects were subsequently sent questionnaires in accordance with Code C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (where those questions are asked under PACE Caution).
Two of the suspects failed to co-operate with the officers and the third suspect admitted to the offence.
Each of the offenders were issued with a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice for the offence of fly-tipping (contrary to section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990) and should they fail to pay those Notices, within fourteen days, the offer of a Fixed Penalty will be withdrawn and each case will be prosecuted to the Magistrates Court.
Upon conviction, the offenders would receive a criminal record and could face a fine of up to £50,000 and/or a custodial sentence.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council has a zero tolerance toward fly-tipping and is, so far, the only Welsh local authority to have signed up to the #SCRAPflytipping campaign, an initiative run by colleagues in Hertfordshire and which has been adopted by local authorities throughout England and which takes a multi-agency approach toward tackling fly-tipping.
Incidents of fly-tipping can be reported on the Council’s website, where information on how to responsibly dispose of waste can also be found.
Cllr Mark Wilson, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood and Building Services, said: “The Council has a zero tolerance towards fly-tipping and is pleased to have identified the people behind these recent incidents.
“Our environmental enforcement officers respond to reports of fly-tipping and patrol known hotspots regularly.
“The Council will continue to take this issue seriously and deliver repercussions to anyone found to have committed the offence. Consequences for fly-tipping range from Fixed Penalty Notices, to fines of up to £50,000 or even imprisonment.”