Llanelli men fined for litter offences

TWO Llanelli men have been fined by the court for dropping litter.

Thomas Robert John aged 21, of Brynhyfryd, Llangenech, and David William John Taylor, aged 20, of Brynhyfryd, Llangennech, were each fined £135 by Llanelli magistrates and ordered to pay £300 prosecution costs as well as a £15 victim surcharge.

Taylor was also fined a further £160 for providing false details.

The case was listed for trial but after it had started the defendants decided to change their plea to guilty.

The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.

The court hard that on August 12 last year council environmental enforcement officers were on patrol in Parc Trostre when they saw two males eating food in a car parked near the Dreams store.

They saw the driver open his door and place a cardboard food container under the vehicle. They then saw the passenger open his door and throw two items of litter on to the ground.

The officers approached the vehicle explaining what they had seen and issued them with fixed penalty notices for £75.

However, neither of the men paid the fine. Taylor also gave officers a false address and false date of birth.

Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said he hoped these fines would act as a warning to others.

He said: “The council is serious about punishing people who break the law in this way. Dropping litter is a criminal offence, whether it is discarding rubbish from a vehicle, throwing cigarette ends or spitting out chewing gum.

“Our environmental enforcement officers carry out regular patrols across the county and anyone caught dropping litter will be fined. Giving false details to an officer is also an offence and it does not mean you will get away with it.”