A VAN involved in the fly-tipping of a cannabis farm near Resolven has been crushed.
It comes after Neath Port Talbot Council successfully prosecuted four men and a woman following the discovery of waste on land in Rheola Forestry, which is owned by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
They’ve been ordered to pay a combined total of nearly £7,000 (£6,822) by Swansea Magistrates Court after NRW found correspondence within the waste that had been deposited on their land.
All five individuals were sentenced on May 21, 2026. Further details of those involved can be found below.
The combination of a document left at the scene, CCTV and witness accounts along with other evidence and extensive questioning has resulted in the successful prosecution of five people in total.
During an earlier hearing at Swansea Magistrates Court in February 2026, four of the defendants pleaded guilty to the following offences:
Ian Jenkins pleaded guilty to an offence in relation to duty of care by failing to ensure the waste is disposed of lawfully.
Stephen Powell pleaded guilty to being the person in control of the vehicle used to unlawfully deposit controlled waste.
Keiron Powell and Darcy Thomas pleaded guilty to offences of unlawfully depositing controlled waste and transporting waste without a waste carriers’ licence.
Anthony Jones and another male pleaded not guilty, and their cases were listed for trial. During the trial, Jones was found guilty of an offence of failing to ensure that the waste was disposed of lawfully. The other male was found not guilty.
The following individuals have now been sentenced at Swansea Magistrates Court:
Keiron Powell, 29, of Greenwood Road, Neath, was convicted of depositing controlled waste without a permit, contrary to Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He was fined £700 and ordered to pay £850 in costs and a £280 victim surcharge, bringing the total financial penalty to £1,830.
Darcy Thomas, 30, of Greenwood Road, Neath, was also convicted under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for depositing controlled waste without a permit. He received a £700 fine, £850 in costs and a £280 victim surcharge, totalling £1,830.
Stephen John Powell, 54, of Greenwood Road, Neath, was convicted under Section 33(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 after knowingly allowing his vehicle to be used in the commission of a waste offence. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £532 in costs and an £80 victim surcharge, making a total of £812.
Anthony Jones, 32, of Wheatley Road, Neath, was convicted of failing in his waste duty of care responsibilities under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He was fined £660, ordered to pay £482 in costs and a £264 victim surcharge, bringing the total amount to £1,406.
Ian Jenkins, 39, of no fixed abode, was also convicted of a Section 34 waste duty of care offence. He received a £330 fine, £482 in costs and a £132 victim surcharge, resulting in a total financial penalty of £944.
The court ordered the tipper vehicle to be forfeited to Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.
Cabinet Member for Streetscene, Cllr Scott Jones says: “We have beautiful areas of forestry and countryside throughout the Neath Port Talbot County and people should be able to enjoy it responsibly without encountering dangerous deposits like this.
“We hope this sends a strong message that regardless of how minor you think your role is in the illegal disposal of waste, you will still be held responsible.”
James Roseblade, Land Management Senior Officer for Natural Resources Wales said: “Illegal waste disposal continues to be a serious and unacceptable blight on our communities, our environment, and our economy. Tackling this activity and bringing perpetrators to account remains one of our highest priorities.
“Waste crime takes many forms, operating at different scales, and costs businesses, landowners and taxpayers millions of pounds each year. It also causes significant harm to the environment, human health and wildlife.
“We welcome the court’s decision in this case and hope it sends a clear message that waste-related crime will not be tolerated and will be punished and Natural Resources Wales and its partners will continue to take appropriate enforcement action against those who break the law.”
