Man fined for fly-tipping outside charity shop

AN Ammanford man has been fined by magistrates for fly-tipping furniture outside a charity shop in the town.

Ronnie James Carroll dumped a load of furniture including an old wardrobe, TVs, a bed and mattress outside Barnardos in Carregamman Road after the shop was closed.

He was spotted by an eye witness and the information was passed on to the council’s environmental enforcement officers who carried out an investigation.

Carroll, aged 47, of Swn-Y-Nant, Nantyglyn Road, Glanaman, pleaded guilty to four offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Carmarthen Magistrates Court.

He was fined a total of £420 (£105 for each offence) as well as prosecution costs of £567.23, £60 in compensation to Barnardos and a £20 victim surcharge.

The offences occurred in September and October of last year.

So much furniture was left on the second occasion that staff couldn’t get into the shop to open it up. The furniture was also ruined by the rain which meant it could not be sold and the charity then had to pay to get it removed.

Speaking at the time, shop manager Susan Langford said: “We are a charity and we are trying to raise money not waste it like this. People don’t care; it is just an excuse for them to get rid of stuff they don’t want.”

Fly-tipping had been an ongoing problem at the shop and a sign had been put up in the window warning people that anything left outside the premises would be deemed as fly-tipping and could result in prosecution.

Carroll told the court he was unable to read the sign.

Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Fly-tipping is a serious offence and unfortunately this is an issue at charity shops across Carmarthenshire.

“People leave items outside the shops on the pavement when they are closed, probably with good intentions that it will be sold for charity, but it looks untidy and often the items are ruined by the weather.

“In this case however, it was a lot more than just a couple of bags of clothes and I cannot believe that anyone would think this was the right thing to do, it is quite obvious that they just wanted to get rid.

“Hopefully this case will serve as a warning to others.”