A GWENT woman has been fined after pleading guilty to dumping rubbish in a river.

Appearing before Newport Magistrates’ Court, Charlene Evans pleaded guilty to the offence of not ensuring the proper disposal of her waste.

The prosecution came as a result of a fly-tipping incident at the Afon Lwyd back in April 2020.

Around this time, Evans, of River Row, Pontnewynydd, was found to have dumped five black bags of household waste into the river at Pontnewynydd.

After being alerted to the rubbish by the public, Torfaen Council’s environmental health team retrieved the rubbish and, after investigating it, were able to trace it back to Evans.

According to the council, Evans “was initially issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice, which she failed to pay.”

Continuing, they said: “Officers attempted to engage with her on a number of occasions, but she repeatedly refused to cooperate with their investigations. When Miss Evans did not attend the initial court hearing for the offence, a warrant was issued for her arrest.”

Appearing before court on Friday, June 24, she pleaded guilty and was fined £150 and ordered to pay £200 towards the council’s costs, and a victim surcharge of £30.

Her guilty plea was taken into account when the sentence was handed down, and the court also made an application to deduct the balance from Evans’s benefits payments.

What has the council said?

Cllr Mandy Owen, executive member for environment at Torfaen Council, said: “Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime, and it costs taxpayers a lot of money to clean up. It looks unsightly and can be detrimental to our communities, wildlife and the environment.

“Every householder has a duty of care for disposing of their waste properly, so when making arrangements for someone to dispose of waste, residents are encouraged to check they have a valid waste carriers’ licence. It is also advisable to take a photograph of their details, or note them down.

“I would like to commend the excellent work of the Council’s Environmental Health Officers in bringing this case before the Courts and achieving a successful outcome.”