Neil Griffiths, 56, of Stone Drive, appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday 20 July 2026 where he was also ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and pay Herefordshire Council's full prosecution costs of £8,290.25.

Griffiths, who traded as Three Counties Toilet Hire, admitted two offences of illegally depositing controlled waste and one offence of failing in his duty of care to ensure business waste was disposed of lawfully.

The prosecution followed an investigation by Herefordshire Council's Community Protection Team after members of the public reported seeing blue chemical toilet waste being discharged from a vehicle towing portable toilets on the A449 at Much Marcle in July 2023.

Council officers attended the scene and found evidence of human waste, toilet tissue and chemical residue, with waste entering a roadside drain.

Officers traced the vehicle to Griffiths' business and launched a detailed investigation into how waste from the business was being managed.

The investigation uncovered an unlicensed and unsecured cesspit at the business premises containing waste with a strong smell of human excrement. Subsequent testing of the waste found traces of human DNA, providing key evidence that human waste from the business had been illegally disposed there.  

Officers also established that Griffiths had failed to produce sufficient waste transfer records to demonstrate that waste generated by the business had been disposed of legally over a prolonged period.

During sentencing, the court heard that Griffiths claimed the discharge onto the A449 had resulted from a pipe becoming dislodged while the waste was being transported. The court also heard that he had taken steps to improve his compliance with waste legislation since the offences.

In sentencing, Judge Burbridge said the offending crossed the custody threshold but took into account Griffiths' subsequent rehabilitation before imposing an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Herefordshire Council’s Head of Public Protection, Charles Yarnold, said:

"Fly-tipping involving human waste has the potential to cause significant harm to the environment and to public health. This was a complex investigation which relied on information provided by members of the public alongside the extensive work of council officers over a number of years.

"We welcome the court's recognition of the seriousness of these offences and remain committed to investigating environmental crime and taking robust enforcement action where there is sufficient evidence."

While Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Roads and Regulatory Services, Councillor Barry Durkin, added:

"Residents and businesses expect waste management companies to dispose of waste responsibly and within the law. Cases involving human waste are particularly serious because of the potential impact on people, wildlife and the environment.

"This prosecution sends a clear message that environmental crime will not be tolerated in Herefordshire. We will continue to support our officers in taking action against those who put our communities and countryside at risk."