A HEREFORDSHIRE man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after illegally dumping human waste from his portable toilet hire business.
Neil Griffiths, 56, of Stone Drive, Colwall, appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday, July 20, 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, and was handed an eight-month suspended sentence.
The prosecution followed an investigation by Herefordshire Council 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' rehabilitation before imposing an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Herefordshire Council’s head of public protection, Charles Yarnold described it as a "complex" investigation which spanned 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," he added.
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