(Image: Torfaen County Borough Council)
Last Updated: 2 minutes ago
A Garndiffaith woman has been left with a bill exceeding £1,400 after she repeatedly ignored attempts by Torfaen Council to question her about illegally dumped rubbish.
Linda Pring, 40, was handed the penalty at Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court after the case was proven in her absence – she did not turn up for the hearing either.
The dumping
Ten bags of household waste were discovered on land at Farm Lane, Talywain, in August 2025. When officers examined the contents, items linked to Pring were found among the rubbish.
Refused to engage
Council investigators contacted Pring to establish how the waste had ended up at the location, but she failed to respond. A formal notice was subsequently issued under Section 108 of the Environment Act 1995, legally requiring her to attend an interview as part of the investigation.
Pring ignored that too.
Her failure to comply with the notice led to the prosecution, as non-compliance with a Section 108 notice is a criminal offence.
The penalty
The court imposed a £660 fine along with £496.86 in council costs and a £264 victim surcharge.
Daniel Morelli, Torfaen’s head of public protection and environment, said: “Not complying with a legal notice under Section 108 is a criminal offence and the council will use its powers where necessary to tackle fly-tipping.”
Residents who wish to report fly-tipping can do so through the council’s website or the MyTorfaen app.
