A GWENDRAETH Valley man has been prosecuted for illegally carrying scrap metal.

 Jonathan Mark Wright, aged 33, of Clos Gwyn, Tumble, pleaded guilty by post to an offence contrary to the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989.

The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.

Carmarthen Magistrates Court heard that Wright was stopped by police in Cross Hands. He was in a vehicle with scrap metal on it but did not have a waste carriers licence.

The information was passed on to the council’s environmental enforcement officers who contacted Environment Agency Wales to check if Wright was a registered waste carrier. He did not hold the relevant licence and was prosecuted in court as a result.

Wright was fined £75 by magistrates and ordered to pay full costs of £203.72.

The council now hopes this case will act as a warning to others and help prevent the illegal transport of waste which often results in fly-tipping.

All businesses that carry waste, including scrap merchants, skip companies, builders and gardeners, must have a waste carriers licence. They must also make sure they have the correct paperwork for all the waste they carry and only use licensed waste sites to dispose of their rubbish.

The council works closely with the police, through the Community Safety Partnership, as part of a joint operation targeting scrap metal dealers in Carmarthenshire.