Court orders Port Talbot litter lout to pay £900 in prosecution

A PORT Talbot litter lout who was caught red handed on camera tying plastic bags onto the supports of a metal bridge has been ordered to pay out almost £900.

Anthony Herbert, of Glyn Street, Aberavon, failed to appear before Neath magistrates in respect of littering offences and dog fouling.

But in his absence he was still fined hundreds of pounds for the offences.

Council prosecutor Mike Shaw told the court that during the morning of Friday, October 12, 2012 council waste enforcement officer, Carl Adamiec, witnessed the 46-year-old throw paper and vegetable peelings onto the road outside his property.

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Approximately an hour later the waste enforcement officer photographed Herbert leaving his home carrying a roll of plastic recycling bags. He was seen tying all of the bags onto the supports of a metal bridge over the Peripheral Distributor Road.

After discovering his identity, the officer returned to the Glyn Street address with a PCSO and spoke with the defendant.

Herbert admitted offences of littering both outside his home and on the bridge and was issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £75.

He was told that if he paid the fine in 10 days the sum would be reduced to £50.

Despite two written reminders he failed to pay the fine and a consequence court proceedings began.

Also during this time, on November 7, 2012, the same waste enforcement officer witnessed a dog fouling on a grass verge outside Glenavon Street, Aberavon. He then saw the same dog returning to Herbert's Glyn Street home and was allowed back in where it remained.

The officer returned to the house the following day but got no reply so posted a FPN of £75 addressed to the defendant and left a calling card asking Herbert to contact him.

Despite both of these, however, Herbert did not pay the dog fouling FPN nor respond to the calling card.

Mr Shaw told the court the issue of dog fouling was consistently identified as a main concern by the public.

"It is regularly raised as a priority in local Pact meetings," he said.

"Untreated dog faeces carry serious health risks, particularly for children.

"The most widely known infection is toxocara canis which can result in a range of symptoms from aches and pains to bronchial conditions and in some cases the eye sight of the victim could be seriously affected."

Herbert was convicted in his absence of littering, contrary to section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and allowing his dog to foul in public contrary to Section 3(1) of the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996.

He was fined a total of £600 — £200 per offence, with court costs of £225.58 and £20 victim surcharge.

Alexendra Mary Phillips, of Cae Nant Terrace, Skewen, has also been fined for littering offences.

Peter Nigel Wells, of Suffolk Place, Porthcawl, has been fined £430 and ordered to pay court costs of £364 for flytipping on the Kenfig Industrial Estate.

The council's head of streetcare, Mike Roberts, said: "Environmental crime has a detrimental impact on our communities.

"Neath Port Talbot Council is committed to ensure the county borough is a safe and clean environment for both citizens and visitors and we will use the full force of the law to bring those who commit environmental crime to justice."