A MAN who regularly used a bus stop near Yate as a toilet has been ordered to pay more than £2,000 in compensation and costs after being caught in a surveillance operation.
Sean Daley, aged 54, was prosecuted for criminal damage and littering by South Gloucestershire Council after “multiple discoveries of human waste” at a bus stop on the A432 Badminton Road in Mayshill, between Frampton Cotterell and the town.
Bristol Crown Court heard that from last September, the council began to receive frequent complaints that human waste and used tissue paper was being left at the northbound Mayshill bus stop, opposite the New Inn.
A council spokesperson said: “The council’s cleansing team started regularly attending the bus stop to deep clean and sanitise it, a time-consuming job using large quantities of strong disinfectant.” Between September 5 and November 21 human waste was found in and around the bus stop ten times.
Warning
The spokesperson said: “Used tissue paper and cigarettes were also found inside the bus stop and often crammed between the slats of the benches.
“A warning poster was installed inside the bus stop, in the hope that whoever was responsible would be aware that the council were monitoring the location and be deterred from future offences.
“However, incidents continued and CCTV footage from a nearby resident caught several of the offences during late September and early October.”
The spokesperson said a passing dog warden saw a man standing up and pulling up his trousers in the bus stop shortly before 1pm on October 7.
He had left before she was able to turn around and stop to challenge him – but human waste had been left inside the bus stop.
After more incident the council to removed the bus stop’s bench seat and installed CCTV monitoring equipment nearby.
The spokesperson said: “CCTV footage captured throughout November showed a man arriving at the bus stop in the early hours of the morning on a push bike, travelling from the direction of Frampton Cotterell towards Yate.
“The recordings showed him smoking, discarding cigarette ends and tissues and, on three occasions between 10 and 21 November, defecating outside the shelter. On two of those occasions, he also urinated inside the bus stop.”
Unable to identify the man using CCTV, environmental enforcement officers set up an “early morning surveillance operation”, and spotted a man dumping cigarettes and tissues before cycling away towards Yate, shortly before 4am on November 21.
They then followed him as he cycled to work in Yate, where he was stopped and gave his name.
Public health risk
Interviewed a month later, Daley, of Gloucester Road North, Filton, claimed he had only used the bus stop as a toilet once due to health issues.
The council spokesperson said: “After being shown multiple CCTV recordings showing his actions, he eventually accepted responsibility for further incidents.
“It was noted that since officers approached Daley on November 21 no further incidents have been reported at the bus stop.
“When challenged about the wider pattern of offending, Daley admitted: ‘Yes, it probably is me’.
“He accepted that his actions created a public health risk and acknowledged that nobody else was using the bus stop as a toilet.”
Appearing in court on July 20, Daley pleaded guilty to criminal damage and littering.
He was given a 12-month community order, including 10 rehabilitation activity days, was fined £80 and ordered to pay £990 in compensation to the council, plus costs of £1,000, totalling £2,070.
Council cabinet member for environmental enforcement John Bradbury said: “This man’s actions had a huge impact on nearby residents and the council’s cleansing team, and significant resources went into the numerous clean-ups.
“The investigation required investment of considerable time and resources by South Gloucestershire Council and I am grateful for the determination and diligence of our investigation team in bringing the offender to justice.”
The council is encouraging people to report littering, fly-tipping, and other waste-related crimes and vandalism to its StreetCare helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/flytipping.