A LLANELLI business man has been ordered to pay almost £400 for dumping waste in a lane.
Henry Vermaak of Aladins Cave on Station Road pleaded guilty to the offence contrary to Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The 63-year-old was fined £110, ordered to pay costs of £250 and a victim surcharge of £20.
The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.
The case was heard in Carmarthen Magistrates Court.
The court heard that environmental enforcement officers called at Aladins Cave on several occasions due to business waste not being disposed of correctly, including a sofa and number of other items which had been placed in the rear lane which was causing problems to other businesses in the area.
When officers spoke to him he explained that he had hired a skip but was unable to fit the sofa in the skip therefore had left it in the lane. He was advised that he should remove the sofa or further action may be taken.
A further inspection by officers saw that the sofa was still there and officers visited Aladins Cave and explained to Vermaak that he could be prosecuted for fly tipping or alternatively he could be issued with a fixed penalty notice(FPN). Vermaak agreed to accept the FPN.
Following further complaints from businesses in the area, officers inspected the lane again and saw that the waste was still there and more waste had been added.
Officers sent a letter to Vermaak on April 2, 2014 inviting him to attend an interview in relation to the dumped waste but he failed to attend.
Carmarthenshire County Council’s executive board member for Environmental and Public Protection, Cllr Jim Jones, said: “Businesses have a responsibility to ensure reasonable measures are taken to dispose of their waste. Hopefully this fine will act as a warning to businesses throughout Carmarthenshire that we will prosecute those that flout the law. We are determined to clean up Carmarthenshire for both residents and visitors.”
You can report flytipping online at ilocal.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/report/ or call 01267 234567
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle
