Reminder to residents over waste collection days

RESIDENTS are being reminded to only put their rubbish out on their day of collection or risk being fined.

It comes after a Llanelli woman was fined £150 and ordered to pay court costs of £100 after putting her waste out days before collection was due leading to the bags being ripped open by animals causing rubbish to be spilled all over the road.

Katie Wilson, aged 28, of Long Row, pleaded guilty by post to an offence contrary to Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court.

The court heard that the council’s environmental enforcement officers received a complaint that a number of bags of refuse had been deposited in the rear lane of Long Row and they had been ripped apart causing a mess.

The officers found evidence amongst the waste relating to Wilson and on checking their records discovered she had been issued with a statutory notice under the Environmental Protection Act the previous month to put her waste out on the correct day. They called at her home and she admitted putting the bags out because she was worried they would attract rats. As she had breached the notice she was issued with a fixed penalty notice for £100. However, no payment was received and she was prosecuted in court as a result.

Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “People who put their rubbish out for collection too early can attract vermin and other pests. Not only is it a health hazard, but it causes rubbish to be strewn all over the streets. If a resident continually ignores the council’s advice and repeated warnings it has no choice but to issue a fine.”

Householders are being asked not to put their refuse/recycling out before 6pm the night before it is due to collected.

Director of technical services Richard Workman said: “We will not hesitate to prosecute people where there is evidence of them persistently putting their refuse out too early.

“However, this is a last resort and we hope residents will act responsibly and help us to reduce the amount of rubbish littering our streets.”

Residents are also being reminded to make sure they comply with the council’s kerbside recycling scheme and put their food waste in the green bin and paper, cans, cardboard and plastic in the blue bag.