A Carmarthen woman has been fined for putting out her black bin bags on the wrong week.
Forty three-year-old Fiona Jayne Riley pleaded guilty at Carmarthen Magistrates Court to four offences under Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The court was told that on February 28, 2012, last year Carmarthenshire County Council received a report of up to 10 black bags on the pavement in Glannant Road, Carmarthen; the collection day for this area being a Monday.
The environmental enforcement officer saw that the bags were directly outside the rear gate of the house in Fountain Hall Terrace where Miss Riley lives. The officer explained it was blue bag week and that black bags were not scheduled to be collected until the following Monday. She refused to take the bags back in and dismissed him when he explained that she could be prosecuted for not complying with the council’s waste collection scheme.
The following day the officer hand delivered a Section 46 Notice of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to Miss Riley and also left a food waste bin, blue recycling bags and recycling information pack.
On Friday November 8 last year the officer found three black bags on the pavement outside the rear gate of her house. The following Tuesday the officer hand delivered a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice for breaching the Section 46 Notice.
On Wednesday November 20, 2013, the officer again found black bags on the pavement.
On Tuesday December 3, 2013, a warning letter was sent informing her that if the £100 Fixed Penalty Notice was not paid the matter would be referred to the Legal Services department. By Wednesday December 18 no payment had been received.
She was fined £100 for each of the four offences and ordered to pay £200 prosecution costs and a £20 Victim Surcharge.
Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “The council is committed to clearing up Carmarthenshire and we will not tolerate bags of rubbish being left littering the streets for days on end. If a resident continually ignores the council’s advice we have no choice but to issue a fine or prosecute them in court.”
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