A Whitland man has been fined £100 by the courts for throwing litter out of a van window.

Dempsey Wayne Lee, of Westover Caravan Park, West Street, Whitland, was convicted in his absence of an offence under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court.

The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.

The court heard that on September 25, the council's environmental enforcement officers were on duty in Carmarthen in an unmarked vehicle when they saw litter being thrown out of a window by the front passenger of a moving van.

The officers followed the van to a scrapyard in Llanelli and approached Lee who admitted under caution that he threw the litter and agreed to accept a fixed penalty notice.

However, Lee, aged 21, failed to pay the fixed penalty notice, and as a result, was prosecuted through the courts.

He was convicted in his absence and fined £100 by magistrates.

Council executive board member for the environment, Clr. Haydn Jones, said: "Dropping litter is against the law, whether it is discarding rubbish from a vehicle, throwing cigarette ends or spitting out chewing gum.

"There is no excuse for littering our streets. This will not be tolerated and the culprits will be punished."