Llanelli woman fined for rubbish offence
A Llanelli woman must pay a total of £665 after more than 60 black bags of household rubbish were found at her property.
Deborah Gail Myhill, aged 44, of Cambrian Street, has been prosecuted for an offence under the Environment Protection Act 1990.
Myhill was due to stand trial at Llanelli Magistrates Court but changed her plea to guilty at the last minute.
The court heard that council environmental enforcement officers received a complaint regarding a number of bags of refuse on a hard standing to the rear of a house on Cambrian Street.
On arrival they discovered approximately 60 bags of refuse, a number of which were used to contain blue recycling bags that were filled with waste not suitable for recycling.
Myhill told the officers that there eight people living at the address and that she could not comply with the council’s policy of four black bags for collection every fortnight.
The officers pointed out that much of the waste found in the black bags was recyclable and that there was no limit on the number of blue bags that could be put out for collection.
Myhill blamed her children for failing to help her recycle the waste and told officers she had put the blue bags in black bags as dogs had ripped them, she said she had also run out of blue bags.
The officers explained she could pick up more blue bags for free.
Records showed Myhill had already been served a notice by the council in 2008 instructing her to present her waste correctly. As she had now breached the notice, she would be issued with a fixed penalty of £100. However, no payment was received.
As a result, Myhill was fined £250 by magistrates and was ordered to pay £400 towards prosecution costs and £15 victims surcharge. The court took into account the fact that Myhill had originally entered a not guilty plea and all six prosecution witnesses had attended court before changing her plea.
The council now hopes this fine will act as a warning to other residents.
Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “It is important people put the correct bags out on the correct weeks and with the correct items in them.
“If residents are unsure of what to do or run out of blue bags then please get in touch and our officers will be more than happy to advise them. We don’t want to fine people, we want to help them as best we can. However, if a resident continually ignores the council’s advice and repeated warnings it has no choice but to prosecute them. It is vital we recycle as much of our waste as possible.”
Deborah Gail Myhill, aged 44, of Cambrian Street, has been prosecuted for an offence under the Environment Protection Act 1990.
Myhill was due to stand trial at Llanelli Magistrates Court but changed her plea to guilty at the last minute.
The court heard that council environmental enforcement officers received a complaint regarding a number of bags of refuse on a hard standing to the rear of a house on Cambrian Street.
On arrival they discovered approximately 60 bags of refuse, a number of which were used to contain blue recycling bags that were filled with waste not suitable for recycling.
Myhill told the officers that there eight people living at the address and that she could not comply with the council’s policy of four black bags for collection every fortnight.
The officers pointed out that much of the waste found in the black bags was recyclable and that there was no limit on the number of blue bags that could be put out for collection.
Myhill blamed her children for failing to help her recycle the waste and told officers she had put the blue bags in black bags as dogs had ripped them, she said she had also run out of blue bags.
The officers explained she could pick up more blue bags for free.
Records showed Myhill had already been served a notice by the council in 2008 instructing her to present her waste correctly. As she had now breached the notice, she would be issued with a fixed penalty of £100. However, no payment was received.
As a result, Myhill was fined £250 by magistrates and was ordered to pay £400 towards prosecution costs and £15 victims surcharge. The court took into account the fact that Myhill had originally entered a not guilty plea and all six prosecution witnesses had attended court before changing her plea.
The council now hopes this fine will act as a warning to other residents.
Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “It is important people put the correct bags out on the correct weeks and with the correct items in them.
“If residents are unsure of what to do or run out of blue bags then please get in touch and our officers will be more than happy to advise them. We don’t want to fine people, we want to help them as best we can. However, if a resident continually ignores the council’s advice and repeated warnings it has no choice but to prosecute them. It is vital we recycle as much of our waste as possible.”
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