AMMAN VALLEY: Woman handed criminal behaviour order over bird feeding that drew rats near primary school

A woman has been prosecuted and handed a criminal behaviour order after her persistent bird feeding drew a large number of rats to a village in the Amman Valley.

The case was brought by Neath Port Talbot Council‘s environmental health team, which said the woman had repeatedly failed to stop feeding wildlife despite being warned.

A primary school, an equine business and neighbouring residents in Tairgwaith had all reported numerous rat sightings, the council said.

The problems stemmed from a build-up of bird feed in the woman’s garden, which continued even after she was issued with a legal notice ordering her to stop.

She was also witnessed leaving meat containing bones on public land — something the council warned could have put local dogs and other animals at risk.

The case was heard at Swansea Magistrates’ Court, where the woman was sentenced on Thursday 4 June.

The court was told she had failed to comply with an abatement notice served under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which deals with statutory nuisances.

Magistrates handed her a two-year criminal behaviour order setting out a string of restrictions on how she can feed birds.

She was also ordered to pay a £1,500 fine.

Under the terms of the order, she may use no more than two feeders at a time across her front and rear gardens.

Each feeder may be filled only once a week, and only purpose-built, approved feeders are allowed.

She is also banned from scattering food on the ground, and any food kept outside must be stored in a sealed container.

The council said the restrictions were designed to stop the over-feeding that had drawn the rats in the first place.

Environmental health teams have powers to act on issues such as pest infestations and accumulations that cause a nuisance, and can take cases to court where warnings are ignored.

It is unusual for a bird-feeding case to end in a criminal behaviour order, with such measures more commonly associated with anti-social behaviour or repeat offending.

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RESOLVEN: Crushed! Van used to dump cannabis farm waste in Neath Valley forest is destroyed — after five prosecuted

A van used to dump cannabis farm waste in a Neath Valley forest has met a fitting end — in the jaws of a crusher.

The white Ford Transit tipper was forfeited to Neath Port Talbot Council by the court, and was destroyed on Wednesday.

It comes after five people were fined a combined £6,822 at Swansea Magistrates Court over the dumping of the waste on land at Rheola Forestry, near Resolven, owned by Natural Resources Wales.

Investigators were led to the culprits after correspondence was found within the dumped waste — with CCTV, witness accounts and what the council described as “extensive questioning” completing the case.

Keiron Powell, 29, and Darcy Thomas, 30, both of Greenwood Road, Neath, pleaded guilty to unlawfully depositing controlled waste and transporting waste without a waste carrier’s licence, and were each ordered to pay £1,830.

Stephen John Powell, 54, also of Greenwood Road, admitted knowing his vehicle was being used to unlawfully deposit controlled waste, and was ordered to pay £812.

Ian Jenkins, 39, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to failing in his duty of care to ensure waste was disposed of lawfully, and was ordered to pay £944.

Anthony Jones, 32, of Wheatley Road, Neath, denied the charges but was found guilty at trial of failing to ensure the waste was disposed of lawfully — and was ordered to pay £1,406. Another man who stood trial alongside him was found not guilty.

All five were sentenced on 21 May, with the court ordering the tipper to be handed to the council.

Cllr Scott Jones, the council’s cabinet member for streetscene, said: “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 continued to be “a serious and unacceptable blight on our communities, our environment, and our economy”.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Footage released by the council shows the bags being put out at the kerbside and loaded into the tipper — along with the waste in situ at Rheola Forestry, and the van’s final moments in the crusher.

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RESOLVEN: Five fined more than £6,800 after cannabis farm waste dumped in Neath Valley forest

Five people have been ordered to pay nearly £7,000 after the remains of a cannabis farm were fly-tipped on forestry land near Resolven.

The waste was dumped illegally in the Rheola forest in the Neath Valley, on land owned by Natural Resources Wales.

It was a document left among the rubbish — along with CCTV, witness accounts and other evidence — that helped investigators track down those responsible.

Following a prosecution brought by Neath Port Talbot Council, four men and a woman were sentenced at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on 21 May.

Between them they were ordered to pay a total of £6,822 in fines, costs and victim surcharges.

Keiron Powell, 29, of Greenwood Road, Neath, was ordered to pay £1,830 after admitting illegally depositing controlled waste.

Darcy Thomas, 30, also of Greenwood Road, Neath, was ordered to pay the same amount for the same offence.

Stephen John Powell, 54, again of Greenwood Road, Neath, was ordered to pay £812 after admitting being in control of the vehicle used to dump the waste.

Anthony Jones, 32, of Wheatley Road, Neath, was ordered to pay £1,406 after being found guilty of failing to ensure the waste was disposed of lawfully.

Ian Jenkins, 39, of no fixed abode, was ordered to pay £944 for the same duty-of-care offence.

A sixth man, who had denied wrongdoing, stood trial alongside Jones and was found not guilty.

The court also ordered the tipper truck used to carry the waste to be forfeited to the council, which is now assessing the vehicle and may have it crushed.

The dumped material was the spent contents of a cannabis grow — black fabric planters, growing medium and other equipment — rather than household rubbish.

Cabinet member for streetscene, Cllr Scott Jones, said people should be able to enjoy the county’s forests and countryside without coming across dangerous dumped waste.

He said the case sent a strong message that anyone involved in illegal waste disposal would be held responsible, however minor they believed their role to be.

James Roseblade, land management senior officer for Natural Resources Wales, said illegal waste disposal remained a serious blight on communities, the environment and the economy.

He said tackling it was one of the organisation’s highest priorities, and welcomed the court’s decision as a clear signal that waste crime would not be tolerated.

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First Cymru announces major bus network overhaul across South & West Wales

Bus operator First Cymru is rolling out a comprehensive set of changes to its South and West Wales network from Sunday 31 August 2025, with revised timetables, new routes, and increased service frequencies designed to improve reliability and connectivity across the region.

The updates span Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, and the Vale of Glamorgan, and have been developed in collaboration with local councils — including funding support from Carmarthenshire County Council.

New Services & Route Extensions

• L11 (Llanelli–Kidwelly): A brand-new hourly service via Burry Port and Pembrey, funded by Carmarthenshire County Council.
• 6A (Swansea–Grenfell Park): New weekday service via SA1.
• X1 (Swansea–Bridgend): Now extended to Swansea University’s Singleton Campus with larger double decker buses.
• 39 (Swansea–Tycoch): Will now operate Monday to Friday during college holidays, extending beyond its previous term-time-only schedule.
• 195 & 197 (Llanelli–Carmarthen): Extended to Parc Trostre, with the 197 also serving Ffos Las Estate.
• 69 (Bridgend–Cefn Glas): Now operating via Angel Street and Glan y Parc.
• X2 (Porthcawl–Cardiff): Rerouted through Neville Street and Fitzhamon Embankment, avoiding Westgate Street.

Increased Frequencies

• L3 (Llanelli–Pontarddulais): Now running every 60 minutes.
• 321 (Llantwit Major–Talbot Green): Increased to hourly service.
• 87 (Neath–Margam): Additional trips during college holidays and extended journeys to Dalton Road.

Route Revisions

• L1 & L2: Now serving the new Pentre Awel development.
• 128: Will operate via Cross Hands Business Park.
• 129: Will bypass Pantyffynnon via the A483.
• 84, 81 & 82: Will now terminate at Port Talbot Parkway Station.
• 59 & 83: Interlinked at Pontrhydyfen for seamless travel between Neath and the Afan Valley.

College Services Updated

Services 901–907, connecting various towns to Neath College, will have revised timetables to improve punctuality for the new academic year.

Withdrawals

• 103 (Ammanford–Llandybie): Withdrawn and replaced by services 165 and X13.

Timetable Tweaks Across the Network

In addition to new routes and service extensions, many existing services will see timetable adjustments aimed at improving punctuality and better aligning with passenger demand. These include:

• L1–L7 (Llanelli area): All services revised to improve reliability, with L1 and L2 also rerouted via Pentre Awel.
• 124–129 (Ammanford area): Timetables adjusted for punctuality; 128 and 129 also feature route changes.
• 145–146, 165–166 (Carmarthenshire): Updated schedules, with 166 gaining Saturday trips and replacing some weekday-only journeys.
• 195–197 (Llanelli–Carmarthen): Timetables revised alongside route extensions.
• 6, 29, 34, 39 (Swansea): All revised for punctuality, with service 39 now running during college holidays.
• 56, 59, 81–83, 87 (Neath Port Talbot): Adjustments include extended routes and improved connections, especially between Neath and the Afan Valley.
• 901–907 (Neath College services): Timetables updated to support the new academic year.
• 69, X2 (Bridgend & Cardiff): Revised schedules and rerouted paths to improve access and reduce delays.
• 321 (Vale of Glamorgan): Increased frequency to hourly service.

Local Collaboration

The overhaul reflects extensive collaboration with local authorities and feedback from passengers, aiming to create a more responsive and efficient public transport network.

Plan Ahead

All changes take effect from Sunday 31 August 2025. Passengers are advised to check updated timetables before travelling.

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