A PAIR who removed waste from a greeting cards shop have been fined after the waste was found dumped near a children's play area in Godre'r Graig.

Carol Bater, 55, the owner of For All Occasions at Woodfield Street, Morriston, admitted a failure to comply with her duty of care in disposing of controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Swansea Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, February 25.

At the same hearing, Christopher Heale, 32, of Glyn Collen, Ynysforgan, admitted the unlawful deposit of controlled waste was made by his vehicle.

Carol Bater was fined £218 and ordered to pay a £30 Victim Surcharge plus costs of £560. Mr Heale was sentenced to a 12 month Community Order with a requirement to perform 80 hours of unpaid work. In addition, he was ordered to pay costs of £839.52 and a Victim Surcharge of £85.

Neath Port Talbot Council Waste Enforcement Officers were called to Hodgsons Road in Godre’r Graig in May of last year where the waste, including a toilet, shards of glass, rubble and “items consistent with a greeting cards shop” had been dumped.

The waste, which was partially obstructing the highway and which contained harmful and hazardous items, was removed by Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cleansing Department. The waste was dumped near a children’s playground.

The Council’s Waste Enforcement team traced the waste to Carol Bater’s shop in Morriston. In an interview, she said she did not know the person who removed the waste and that she had no waste transfer documentation for the consignment of waste.

She accepted her actions had been “foolish”.

It was discovered the waste had been removed by a Ford Transit van, the registered keeper later being identified as Christopher Heale. Neath Port Talbot Council later seized the vehicle under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

In an interview with the Council’s waste enforcement team, Mr Heale said after the waste was removed from the business he gave his van to another man he told “to dispose of the waste properly”.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Deputy Leader Cllr Ted Latham, also the Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Engineering, said: “This successful prosecution proves yet again that this Council will not tolerate those who damage our environment and we will not hesitate to take action.”