An Abergavenny fly-tipper has been forced to pay almost £1,000 for dumping rubbish on roadsides after charging residents for his services.

Phillip Hatch, 28, admitted at Cwmbran Magistrates to collecting and dumping van-loads of household rubbish and garden waste in the Pontypool countryside.

Dubbed a ‘rogue trader’, Hatch also conceded lacking a waste carriers’ licence allowing him to collect and dispose of waste legally.

Offering door-to-door services, Hatch charged a Blaenavon resident £40, before filling his work van with the waste and dumping it on common land in nearby Pontypool in July last year.

The case, heard on Monday May 8, saw Hatch fined £220, made to pay compensation of £342 plus further costs of £354 added to a £30 victim surcharge.

A council spokesman said fly-tipping was not just a blight on the landscape, but a practise which cost authorities thousands to clean up.

“Fly-tipping is an anti-social activity and causes wider problems than the aesthetic impact on the environment. It can reduce inward investment into the area, affect house prices and adds to the risk of flooding if it occurs near water courses.

“It is often difficult to clean up and deprives other frontline services of much-needed resources. The council has prosecuted a number of fly-tippers in recent years and asks residents to report incidents of fly-tipping.”

He added that “Domestic garden waste in Monmouthshire can be disposed free of charge at our household waste recycling centres or there is a chargeable garden waste collection service. There is no reason to fly-tip and we will work closely with neighbouring authorities to bring an end to this blight on our environment.”