Flytippers create wasteland of fridges, bathrooms and filth in Cardiff city centre

Many people pass over the abandoned patch of land which is now covered in flytipped waste. Credit: Media Wales

Fridges, mattresses, and sofas are just some of the items that have been fly-tipped under one of Cardiff's main roundabouts.

Many people pass over the abandoned patch of land under the City Link flyover next to the Tyndall Street roundabout.

Rail passengers entering the capital from Newport can see the discarded baths, broken bikes and car tyres, all heaped together as they approach Cardiff Central railway station.

The wasteland, which is partly owned by Cardiff Council, stretches out alongside the adjacent railway track fence and links Cardiff Bay, the city centre, Adamsdown, and Splott.

Rail passengers travelling into the city on the mainline from Newport can see the waste. Credit: Media Wales

The council has not responded to this specific fly-tipping incident, but a spokesperson has condemned fly-tipping in general.

In a statement, the council said: “Fly-tipping is completely unnecessary; it damages the environment and costs the taxpayer a significant amount of money each year."

The Council said it prefers to use fixed penalty notices when punishing fly-tippers rather than prosecuting through the court, due to the high costs incurred.

Fly-tipping increased by 22% across Wales last year, with Cardiff having the largest amount of fixed penalty notices handed out in the country according to a report published by the Welsh Government in December 2021.

As recently as February 2022, a man was fined almost £1,000 for fly-tipping several recycling and rubbish bags in Leckwith.

The illegal dump that has so much rubbish it can be seen from space

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Cardiff Council has issued a warning that even if you pay someone to remove waste from your home, you could still end up in court if they aren’t licensed.

The council said: “Every business carrying waste must be licensed by Natural Resources of Wales and must carry a Waste Transfer Notice to show where the waste is being taken from and which licensed facility the waste is being brought to.

“We frequently carry out patrols with partner organisations to stop and request documentation from people carrying waste in their vehicles and this will continue. The council does have several infrared cameras which are used in fly-tipping hotspots across the city.”

If caught fly-tipping the punishment can range from a fixed penalty notice to court action with a possible fine of up to £50,000 or six months in jail depending on the severity of the case.