Crackdown claims victim (From South Wales Guardian)

Crackdown claims victim

10:10am Saturday 14th July 2012 in Ammanford news

A CRACKDOWN on illegal scrap metal dealers at Cross Hands has been hailed a success following the first criminal prosecution based on the operation.

Police and Carmarthenshire county council environmental enforcement officers ran a series of stop-checks on vehicles passing through the village as part of Operation Beagle - a multi-agency operation targeting scrap metal dealers in the county.

As part of the operation, officers stopped a Tenby man driving a ‘tipper-type’ vehicle.

Darren Jones was unable to provide waste transfer notes for the items carried on his vehicle.

Last week, Carmarthen magistrates fined him £200 and ordered he pay £235.08 costs plus a £15 surcharge.

The county council has said it hopes the case will act as a warning to others and help prevent the illegal transport of waste, which often results in fly-tipping.

All businesses that carry waste, including scrap merchants, skip companies, builders and gardeners, must have a waste carriers licence.

They must also make sure they have the correct paperwork for all the waste they carry, known as waste transfer notes, and only use licensed waste sites to dispose of their rubbish.

Council executive board member for environmental and public protection, Cllr Jim Jones, said: “We are working closely with the police, as part of the Community Safety Partnership, in a joint operation targeting scrap metal dealers.

“Hopefully this latest fine will help get the message across that anyone caught illegally transporting waste will be prosecuted.”

Operation Beagle has been launched as a multi-agency approachto reduce the opportunity for thieves to sell on or dispose of stolen metal items.