A man and a woman have been prosecuted in court for the awful mess outside their house. Brian and Gemma Morgan, from Port Talbot, were taken to court by Neath Port Talbot council over flytipping outside their property.
Council officers discovered waste outside the home at Holland Street including plastic boxes, broken plasterboard, a black bag and a dust sheet.
Court hearing and sentence
A sentencing hearing at Swansea Magistrates' Court, which the pair didn't attend, heard investigators initially tried to speak to residents at the property without success. Later that day - on February 19 this year - one resident confirmed by phone that the waste had come from the address and said it would be removed. However, when officers returned the following day the waste remained in place.
The Morgans then failed to engage further with the council's investigation despite repeated attempts to contact them and the issuing of a fixed penalty notice. At Swansea Magistrates' Court on July 9 33-year-old Brian Morgan and 39-year-old Gemma Morgan were convicted of failing to comply with Section 108 of the Environment Act 1995. Neither attended court and they were sentenced in their absence. Each was ordered to pay a £660 fine, a £264 victim surcharge and £146.25 in costs.
Separate fly-tipping case in Dulais Valley
In a separate case waste was strewn across two miles of land along a road between Crynant and Cilfrew in the Dulais Valley, a popular beauty spot. It was first reported on November 6, 2025. The waste contained a mixture of vehicle parts, oil-coated components, commercial waste, household items and fluorescent lighting tubes.
Following initial enquiries, 38-year-old Roger Townsend contacted investigators saying he wanted to discuss waste he had deposited in Cryrnant. He admitted to illegally depositing the waste and revealed he did not hold a waste carrier licence. A review of Natural Resources Wales records also confirmed there were no applicable waste exemptions for the Crynant–Cilfrew road.
At Swansea Magistrates' Court on July 9, Townsend, of Lon Gwendraeth, Morriston, pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He was ordered to pay £946.75 in costs, £202.21 in compensation, a £200 fine and an £80 victim surcharge.
Council comment
Cabinet member for streetscene Cllr Scott Jones said: "The type of waste seen in the Dulais Valley case, which included vehicle parts and oil-contaminated materials, is very damaging to the environment and will not be tolerated, while the second case proves enforcement action will be taken if warnings to remove waste are ignored."
"The successful prosecutions, which have resulted in fines, costs and compensation totalling more than £3,500, demonstrate our determination to hold those who break environmental laws to account. I would like to thank our enforcement team for their diligent investigative work. We will continue to pursue offenders and use the powers available to us to protect our communities, while encouraging residents to dispose of waste responsibly and ensure anyone removing waste on their behalf is properly licensed to do so."
