Birthday greetings message cost man £600

A Llanelli man’s birthday greetings message cost him £600 – because he painted it on the road in his street.
Llanelli Magistrates Court heard that on July 8, 2016, Carmarthenshire County Council received an anonymous report that a man living in Grant Street had written the message ‘Happy Birthday Zoe M from Dai’ on the road in large print.
On July 14 an environmental enforcement officer and technical assistant called at David Nigel Dallimore’s home in Grant Street. He admitted painting the message and agreed to accept a fixed penalty of £75.
Twenty eight-year-old Dallimore failed to pay resulting in prosecution for making unauthorised marks on the highway. He was convicted in his absence last Friday.
He was fined £220, and ordered to pay costs of £351 and a victim surcharge of £30.
Executive board member for environmental and public protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Graffiti can be expensive to clear off as specialist products may have to be used to remove the paint in an environmentally-friendly way.
“The penalty imposed by the court recognised the seriousness of the matter and the expense incurred. Out of the costs awarded, £220 is going to pay for the cost of removing this message from the road.
“Keeping the county clean and safe is a key priority for the council and we will not hesitate to take action against those that break the law.”