In September, Rhianne Parkes will be taking part in the Adidas Women's 5k Challenge to raise money for the Spinal Injuries Association. Rhianne chose the Association as she suffered a spinal injury of her own at the age of 12 and wants to 'give something back.'

Rhianne set up a just giving account at www.justgiving.com/RhiParkes and her mother, Jacqui Newman, landlady of the White Lion Inn organized a quiz and raffle which took place on Sunday. The quiz, as usual was enormous fun and was won by 'Pam's Missing,' comprising Gill and Mike Davies and Rob Little. Lots of great prizes were donated for the raffle, putting even bigger smiles on people's faces until that is, the much coveted giant Toblerone was won by somebody who can't eat nutty chocolate; at which point light hearted war broke out.

Rhianne would like to thank Jacqui for hosting the quiz and all who attended the quiz and donated prizes. A great night was had by all and £318.45 has so far been raised for the Spinal Injuries Association. If you would like to read Rhianne's story, please click here.

Not everybody will see the World Cup period as a time of fun and excitement. Drink-fuelled domestic abuse will ruin it for some. Incidents of abuse spike when England are playing but there's no excuse for it, win or lose, and West Mercia Police is urging victims and witnesses to blow the whistle on domestic abuse.

Reports of domestic abuse increase by nearly a third (30 per cent) on England football match days and nearly half of all suspects in domestic abuse cases were drunk at the time of the crime. Working with their partner agencies, West Mercia Police want to encourage those who do suffer domestic abuse over the next month of the World Cup not to tolerate it and to report incidents to the police. Posters with a football theme will be distributed across Herefordshire that urge local people to 'Show domestic abuse the red card this World Cup' and 'Blow the whistle on domestic abuse.'

Superintendent Kevin Purcell, Senior Police Officer for Herefordshire said, 'Domestic abuse is a serious crime that should not and will not be tolerated. It must be made clear to offenders that the World Cup does not give them any justification. Domestic violence and abuse affects families, it affects victims who suffer harm and it can have a devastating effect on the lives of children exposed to the abuse.

West Mercia Police will do everything it can to make arrests and bring offenders to justice. Don't suffer in silence - help is available. We work closely with our partners to provide support for victims, encourage them to report abuse and effectively prosecute offenders.'

If you or somebody you know needs confidential help or advice, blow the whistle on domestic abuse and call the domestic abuse help line on 0800 783 1359 Herefordshire. You can also call the police on 0300 333 3000 or, in an emergency dial 999.

Ross Health and Fitness was rather busy on Saturday, as lots of ladies went along to support a fund-raising event for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of Matt Beddard. Matt was a popular young man who died of a brain tumour in his early teens. Since Matt's death, his family along with many of his school friends set about raising money for a special ward for teenage cancer patients at Birmingham Childrens Hospital and the ward is now open.

The fund raising continues, however, and on Saturday, Caroline Ward of Ross Health and Fitness hosted a 'Pretty Feet' event in the studio on the upper floor at the centre. For £5, ladies were able to have a pedicure pamper and have their toes painted in a range of colours, adding some fantastic nail art. A raffle was also held on the day and the event raised £360.

What a lovely, relaxing way to help this very worthwhile cause.

Members of Ross Town Council voted to adopt the Ross Town Plan as a framework for a business plan at their meeting on Monday. Copies of the Town Plan are available from The Corn Exchange, Library and Swan House. Although Councillors Jenny Hyde and Harry Bramer had reservations about accepting the Town Plan per se, a vote was taken and the motion to adopt the plan was carried.

The organizers of JAMSTAND will be pleased to know that Ross Town Council have agreed to grant their request for £2,000 towards the cost of the festival and Ross-on-Wifi are being granted funding by the council, with match funding being provided by Herefordshire Council.

Ross-on-Wye was recently recognized as a 'Fair-trade' town and Ross Town Council produced a leaflet a couple of years ago that promoted shops and businesses in the town that trade in locally or ethically sourced goods. At the meeting, Councillor Hyde informed the council that where the cocoa and sugar producers get cash for ethical trading, our own dairy farmers who supply the milk for 'Fair-trade' chocolate do not. Apparently the matter is being looked into and the leaflet is to be updated during the summer.

Ross Town Council are looking for a volunteer Emergency Co-ordinator who will be the key focal point for planning and responding to an emergency for the community, the emergency services, Herefordshire Council and the Primary Care Trust.

Emergencies can appear in many forms, such as floods, severe weather, storm damage or deep snow. They also cover animal and human health emergencies such as blue tongue, swine flu, crime and all kinds of civil occurrences involving the emergency services. Full training and support will be given. An emergency Co-ordinator must at least fulfil the following criteria:

Being resident in the parish community, enjoying the full support of the community, possessing a sound knowledge of the community and possessing good organization and communication skills.

If you can help and feel you are the type of person who can carry out this responsibility, please contact the Town Clerk, Mrs. Denise Mason at the Corn Exchange, High Street, Ross-on-Wye.

Due to the great success of last year's event, Bridstow Primary School, the Parish Council and other organizations from the village got together to organize another Community Fun Day which took place at the school last Saturday. The weather was much kinder to this year's event and lots of people went along to take part in the fun.

Councillor Jenny Hyde opened the event and encouraged the public to enjoy the day and spend well at the stalls which were there to raise money for various community amenities such as the village hall and the school. After the opening the Bridstow School Choristers gave a beautiful rendition of 'Happy Day.'

There were tombola stalls, cake stalls and various others and lots of activities had been arranged to keep the crowds amused. Ross Rowing Club provided rowing machines, a fire engine was there for visitors to look round, Steve Turner was there with his barrel organ and later, a tug o' war contest took place. Everybody seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the event and we are looking forward to attending the next one.

Members of the public are being invited to join Herefordshire Council at a flag raising ceremony on Monday, 21st June at 10.30am, to mark Armed Forces Day. While Armed Forced Day officially takes place on Saturday, 26th June, in line with other local authorities, Herefordshire Council will raise a special flag over the Shirehall on 21st June to mark the lead up to the day itself.

Civic dignitaries from around the county have been invited to observe the raising of the flag. These include The Countess of Darnley, HM Lord-Lieutenant for Herefordshire, Councillor John Stone, chairman of Herefordshire Council, mayors from across Herefordshire, and representatives from the Navy, Army and Air Force.

'I hope people in Herefordshire will be able to join us outside the Shirehall as we show our support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community - from currently serving troops to Service families, and from veterans to recruits,' said Councillor Stone. This is particularly significant in this county with its close links to the Armed Forces,' he added.

Armed Forces Day provides the nation with a dedicated day when people can come together to show their appreciation and support of the Armed Forces. For more information on the celebrations taking place, and how you can take part, visit www.armedforcesday.org.uk

Warrendale Dental Care held an event in support of Dental Health Month at Ross Market Square last Thursday, where staff were raising awareness of the increasing problem of Mouth Cancer whilst raising funds for the Mouth Cancer Foundation.

As well as educating the public on the importance of regular checks for oral cancer, even amongst those with no teeth, almost £100 was raised for the Mouth Cancer Foundation.

All at Warrendale would like to thank all who visited or contributed.

With the World Cup contest now underway, West Mercia Police have launched a campaign to let local residents know that, along with its local partner agencies, the force will be doing all it can to make sure the tournament passes safely and enjoyably. While reassuring the public that 'we're putting in extra time' to police the streets, particularly during England matches, they are also reminding those who might try to use the football as an excuse for alcohol-related violence, that 'Kick off… and face the penalty.'

Posters are being distributed across Herefordshire Division with the messages, 'We're putting in extra time…' and 'You'll be seeing even more of us over the World Cup as we're working hard to keep you safe.' Meanwhile, an internet campaign targeting local Facebook users will warn them 'Kick off… and face the penalty' and 'We want you to enjoy yourself but we'll be cracking down on alcohol-related violence.'

The Kick Off messages will also be sent to people's mobile phones via Bluetooth messages at drinking hot spots in Herefordshire. In addition, a leaflet will be distributed at pubs and other places showing World Cup matches that will give fans a light-hearted reminder of the consequences of indulging in alcohol-related violence.

After a night out drinking and fighting, the leaflet invites people to stay at The Lock'em Inn, more easily recognized as their local police station's custody suite. At this convenient town centre accommodation with lots of bars, we never turn anyone away. Indeed, during the World Cup why not make a long weekend of it? If you get arrested during a match on a Saturday night, you can stay with us until court on Monday.

Kevin Purcell, Superintendent for Herefordshire said, 'We would like to see local football fans drink responsibly, act responsibly and make this a World Cup to remember. Over the course of the tournament, we are working with publicans, off-licenses and supermarkets to ensure that alcohol is sold responsibly. We will have plenty of officers on duty during the World Cup to make sure Herefordshire stays a safe place that can be enjoyed by everyone.

We want everyone to do their bit to stay safe and be drink aware. If you are going to drink, plan ahead. Think about how you're going to get home after a night out and look after your friends. Individuals need to take personal responsibility for their actions and be aware of the effect they may have on other people and the wider community.'

The recent Welcome to Herefordshire Event held in High Town, was a great success as well as a good day out for many people in Hereford. The event, which took place on Sunday, 6th June was a West Mercia Police initiative and organized for them by the Mission to Migrant & Seasonal Workers.

Sponsorship this year was from the MIRA (Migration Integration in Rural Areas) Project and attended by partner agencies from Herefordshire, namely Partners and Communities Together (PACT), including West Mercia Police Herefordshire Division, Herefordshire Council, Mission to Migrant & Seasonal Workers, The Primary Health Care Trust, Herefordshire Housing, the Citizen's Advice Bureau, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, Safer Herefordshire, and the Gang Master Licensing Agency.

The event was aimed at promoting the diverse community in Herefordshire and there were also market stalls, international food stalls, a home-made cake and coffee stall from Hereford Baptist Church and much more. Local dance company 'Featbeat' performed tap & jazz routines. The Dolloway Dancers performed, and individual students who attend Hereford College Arts College all gave up their spare time. There was also a local street entertainer who performed a traditional puppet show and S. & A. Produce kindly donated six trays of strawberries for the event. The Right Worshipful Mayor of Hereford, Councillor Anna Toon also attended the event.

Maxine Thompson, the organizer said, 'There were more people attending than last year and there were a lot more agencies involved than in previous years. It is a great information tool for all people living in Herefordshire as well as being good for the City Centre trade on a Sunday.'

PC Simon Turner, who also helped co-ordinate the event said, 'It was a very successful and worthwhile day that can be built up on in future events in Herefordshire.'

Superintendent Kevin Purcell, Senior Police Officer for Herefordshire said, 'This was a useful event for the division to be involved with as it brings together the police and their partners and the people of Herefordshire.'

A Ross businessman has been fined £100 and ordered to pay £218.17 costs after admitting illegally depositing trade waste in a recycling facility. Richard Lee Mayo, aged 35, of Truffles Deli, 46 High Street, Ross, admitted the offences in a prosecution brought by Herefordshire Council at Hereford Magistrates Court on Friday, 11th June.

The court was told that Mr Mayo, who is chairman of Ross traders association, told an employee to take cardboard waste from his premises to a recycling facility in the Red Meadow car park. Mr Mike Jones, prosecuting on behalf of Herefordshire Council, told the court that Mr Mayo should, in fact, have been using a trade waste service provided by the council for depositing of this waste. The cardboard should have been put in orange sacks costing £1 each and would have then been legally collected.

The offence was committed under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Mr Jones added, 'As an authority we work hard to try and reduce fly-tipping in the county as it is a matter of concern and our enforcement officers are diligent on this matter.' Mr Mayo was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge fee of £15.

Mr Mayo, who represented himself, apologized to the court for the offence. He said he had no evil intent but had made a poor decision. He added that he worked closely with businesses in Ross to tackle problems of litter and was currently involved in organizing a big litter pick in Ross. He also produced a reference from Jesse Norman, MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, which said My Mayo was a tireless force of good in Ross.

Shane Hancock, acting regulatory services manager for Herefordshire Council, said after the case, 'It is really important that all traders realize they have a duty of care to dispose of their trade waste in a responsible way. The council provides a convenient orange sack scheme for traders to use. Trade waste simply cannot be put into facilities intended for householders. Officers from the community protection team or the waste management team, are available to give advice on appropriate disposal methods.'

During the half term holiday, some of the Ross on Wye Aztec Cub pack went to visit the fire station in Ross-on-Wye. As they arrived one of the fire appliances had just been called out to an incident, but there was still someone on hand to show them round.

During their visit, the Cubs found out how a call comes into the fire station and saw all the equipment on the appliance. They were also instructed on what to do if a fire breaks out in the home and encourage to make sure their smoke detectors at home work. The visit was rounded off by all the Cubs having a go at squirting the fire hose.

The visit was arranged to help the Cubs toward achieving their Community challenge badge. Other activities for this badge include learning some first aid skills and looking after a pet.

During the next few weeks the Cubs will be taking part in exciting outdoor activities like raft building and cycling as they work for more badges.

If you have a child who would like to join one of the local packs, or are interested in lending a hand as a future Leader or adult helper, please contact the Scouts by email at infocentre@scout.org.uk, or phone 0845 300 1818.

Alternatively, log in to www.scouts.org.uk for further information.

Oscar Wilde’s great comedy, An Ideal Husband is to be performed in The Secret Garden at The Royal Hotel on Wednesday, 14th July. Promoted by Ross Live! and presented by Heartbreak Productions, the play which is set in fashionable London of the 1890s shimmers with Wilde’s renowned wit. The plot revolves around the settling of old scores, a fortune made out of insider dealing, a mislaid diamond brooch, and a young couple hoping to marry. First performed in 1894, the play ran for a record 124 performances and has stood the test of time with many revivals.

This will be Heartbreak’s seventh visit to Ross, having first appeared in the final Ross International Festival in 2003 and for Ross Live! every year since then. Their open-air productions are fast paced and highly original in their take on the great classics of English theatre. The Secret Garden at The Royal, with St Mary’s floodlit in the background as night falls, makes an exciting auditorium.

All tickets cost £12 and are now on sale at The County Collection, 1 Market Place, Ross-on-Wye HR9 5NX, telephone 01989 563883. Two children under 17 who are accompanied by a ticket holder can enter free.

Bring chairs and a picnic and keep an eye on the weather forecast when deciding what to wear.

Article removed as the missing girl has been found.

The public's views on Herefordshire's highways and transport services will soon be compared with others across England and North Wales, thanks to the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction survey. Herefordshire Council is one of 95 Local Authorities to sign up to a standardized survey that will ask members of the public exactly the same questions, whether they live in Hampshire, Hartlepool or Herefordshire.

The survey, which is being run for the third year, is the result of months of hard work between the National Highways & Transport Network (NHT) and a regional Highways Service Improvement Group. It enables local authorities to compare results, share in best practice and identify opportunities to work together in the future. The questionnaire will be sent to a minimum random sample of 4,500 Herefordshire residents between June and July with local and national results expected to be published later in the summer. Since the survey is based on a sample, residents that receive a copy are being urged to take part.

Clive Hall, Herefordshire Council's highway network manager said, 'There are clear benefits to conducting a public survey in this way. As well as providing excellent value for money, it also enable everyone involved to identify areas of best practice and spot national, regional and local trends. This is not about producing a league table to champion one geographical area over another, it is about understanding customer views better and working together to deliver the best possible outcomes for local residents.'

Councillor Brian Wilcox, the council's cabinet member for highways and transportation said, 'I would urge anyone contacted to take part in the survey to ensure they have their say, so the views of Herefordshire residents can be heard and responded to.'

Herefordshire Council is organizing two days of musical entertainment which will involve children from 16 primary schools singing their hearts out in a countywide Singaround.

The county has received national funding to pay for vocal coaches to work within schools, helping teachers to teach children how to sing. Singing on a regular basis has been proved to be good for children and adults alike. It improves learning, confidence, health and social development and has the power to change lives and help to build stronger communities. The government believes that singing should be part of every child's education, particularly at primary school level, and the government funding will help provide schools with the skills to be able to deliver vocal coaching themselves.

Over the last few weeks, teachers and children have been rehearsing a number of songs, including Hey Mr Miller, Dr Knickerbocker and Chocoholics. The schools will perform these alongside a prepared song of their choice at the Shire Hall from 10.30am to 12 Noon on Thursday, 24th and Friday, 25th June. Members of the public are invited to come along and enjoy the children's singing free of charge.

Alison Bell, assistant head of the council's music service said, 'We want to try and get school classes singing every day and are encouraging Herefordshire schools to work towards the Singup Gold Award too. Singing should be at the heart of every school's life. As well as making you feel good, it helps with literacy and numeracy, introduces culture, and is part of personal health and social education.

The funding only lasts until next year, but we are hoping to train and enthuse lots of teachers so that the county's children can enjoy singing every day in school, and at home too. They might even get mum and dad tuned in and set the whole county singing.'

Herefordshire Council's children and young people's directorate has been highly commended for its focus on strong partnership work in the first ever West Midlands Safeguarding Awards. Hosted by the West Midlands Children and Young People's Forum, the council's directorate was a runner up to the Coventry Safeguarding board for a project in Bromyard that has taken a 'team around the community' approach to make a real difference to the lives of children and families.

GPs play a crucial role in helping patients gain advice and support and have a great deal of insight and knowledge about the families who need extra support from a range of agencies. The highly innovative GPs in Herefordshire have shown great interest in getting more involved in understanding the wider needs of children and their families using a national assessment - the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) which is used with families to understand their needs and help provide them with appropriate support.

CAFs can highlight issues around the health and well being of children and might typically include concerns around diet, emotional needs, educational performance, school attendance or other factors resulting in changes in behaviour. GPs believe the CAF process supports them to meet the needs of some of their patients. They have particularly welcomed the opportunity to consider how they can work more effectively with other agencies in their communities, and to be part of the team which could work together to meet needs.

Debbie McMillan of Herefordshire Council said, 'In Bromyard, the council has brought together a wide range of agencies working in the community to meet the needs of children young people and families. They include voluntary organizations, the police, schools, GPs, the church, housing, mental health services, adult services, housing and the local children's centre. They've been able to work together to meet the needs identified, providing a co-ordinated approach.'

Bromyard GP, Ian Tait said, 'This is a real opportunity to do something positive, working with families in a co-ordinated manner before they reach crisis point. The talents of individuals members of the team are organized in a way which supports and makes sense to families.'

When asked how the CAF process helps individuals, one young mum told professionals that the biggest benefit to her was, 'knowing I don't have to cope on my own.'

This way of working is paving the way for future work as the council restructures the way children's services are delivered across the county.

Herefordshire resident Richard Claridge is hoping county residents will contribute towards a lasting gift to the people of the county by supporting an appeal to install stained glass windows in Hereford's Crematorium. When his partner John Sperry died, Richard decided he wanted John's ashes interred in the grounds of a building that John himself would have been cheered to visit.

Richard said, 'At the time, Herefordshire Council plans were already well advanced for a new crematorium in Hereford but, for reasons of privacy and public budget, it was decided to install semi-frosted windows in the chapel. I decided to donate a stained glass window that would be appropriate to the purposes of the building, yet at the same time uplifting and calming for those within it. The window took many months to design and paint but was installed in March this year. One week later, on the sixth anniversary of John's death, myself and John's family gathered for the service of interment and this window really lifted our spirits.'

A scheme has now been developed for the remaining four windows. Richard added, 'In time, as new donations come in, it will be possible to transform the whole north-west face with warm and gently coloured light, a source of comfort and inspiration. With help, the new Hereford crematorium can become a unique and special building.'

If you want to commemorate a life, wheher on a plaque or through a personalised piece of painted stained glass in one of the proposed new windows, you are welcome to make a donation. Please telephone John Gibbon, Herefordshire Council's bereavement services manager on 01432 383204, who will send you details.

Herefordshire Council has maintained its positive track record for financial management by balancing its budget for the seventh year running. In a report on the final revenue and capital position for the last financial year, 2009/10, the council's cabinet will hear that services had faced up to another year of severe financial pressure.

There was a significant pressure on adult social care services, resulting in a £2.7million overspend in services for older people, people with physical and learning disabilities and those with mental health needs. There was an overspend of £975,000 on the winter roads maintenance budget after the worst period of below freezing temperatures for decades, which was funded partly by council reserves. However, savings of almost £1 million in waste management was achieved after the successful introduction of wheeled bins for recycling last year.

While the children's services budget was close to balancing, there was a £889,000 overspend in safeguarding children, as the numbers of children in agency fostering and residential placements showed an increasing trend. However, this was largely mitigated by savings in other areas of children and young peoples' services. Herefordshire consistently achieves high standards in its schools but receives one of the very worst levels of government education funding in the country. Added to that is the extra cost of delivering services across a sparsely populated rural area.

In many other areas there were efficiencies, reported the council. Culture and leisure spending reduced by £254,000, whilst ICT services saved £619,000. The Herefordshire Connects transformation project yielded £700,000 in savings, the benefits and exchequers service saved £494,000 and human resources saved £222,000. Housing services reduced spending by £52,000 and there were savings of £180,000 in customer services, corporate programmes and communications. Overall Herefordshire Council achieved a balanced budget due to recovery plans and spending controls across all directorates, reductions in borrowing costs of £644,000 and a reduced pay award resulted in a £553,000 saving.

The council had safeguarded reserves of £5.4 million at the end of the last financial year to help it cope with future funding pressures. There was a capital receipts reserve of £13.3 million to fund future improvements to the Rotherwas business park, the new livestock market, affordable housing and improvements to smallholdings owned by the council.

The final out turn on expenditure on major capital projects last year included construction costs for the new Riverside School (£2.5m) and the Hereford Academy (£5.3m) in Hereford, the Minster School in Leominster (£11.7m), the Rotherwas Access Road (£0.7m), the Ross on Wye flood alleviation scheme (£2.3m), road and footpath maintenance (£10.5m), Rotherwas futures (£2.3m), the purchase of offices to bring about the integration of health and council services (£4.3m) and affordable housing grants (£1m).

'The council's position is in contrast to many other local authorities across the country, which are announcing major overspends for the last financial year,' said the council's director of resources, David Powell. 'However, Herefordshire will face tough choices in this and coming years as a result of the overall cuts in public services needed to address the national deficit.'

A Clehonger man has been fined £150 and ordered to pay £184 costs after admitting flytipping. Brian Malcolm Pritchard, aged 65, of 44 Oak Crescent, Clehonger, admitted the offence in a prosecution brought by Herefordshire Council at Hereford Magistrates Court on Friday, 11th June under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Mr Mike Jones, prosecuting for the council, told the court that on 22nd December 2009, a householder in Preston Wynne contacted the council's community protection team to report a large plastic sack that had been left in a hedge. An officer from the community protection team went out to collect the sack and found it contained feed sacks and receipts which were traced back to the defendant. The defendant, representing himself, told the court he had just been told to leave some stables he rented and just dumped the bag on the side of the road but he knew it was a silly thing to do. He was also ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge.

Shane Hancock, acting regulatory services manager of Herefordshire Council said, 'Fly-tipping is a real blight on the landscape and we will not tolerate it in Herefordshire. We do rely on members of the public being our eyes and ears to look out for such offences. I would like to thank the householder for informing the team on this occasion and I urge everyone to be alert to this type of antisocial behaviour.

My ambition is for this type of behaviour, the dropping of litter included, to become socially unacceptable and for the public to support us in dealing with it. The vast majority of people would not even think about depositing their waste in our countryside and the irresponsible minority of people who think it is okay to do so deserve to get caught and punished.'

A pub manager has been fined £300 and ordered to pay £300 costs after admitting failing to ensure trade waste was properly disposed of. Frankie Wood, aged 23, of The Old Nags Head, Granville Street, Monmouth, admitted the offence under a prosecution brought by Herefordshire Council at Hereford Magistrates Court on Friday, 11th June. The offence is under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and she was also ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge.

Mr Mike Jones, prosecuting on behalf of the council, told the court that waste from the pub was found deposited in four black bags at the gateway to a field near Whitchurch, Ross. Miss Wood told enforcement officers she had asked her boyfriend to take the rubbish to the household waste site but the council was unable to contact him to verify this. Mr Chris Read, representing the defendant, told the court the offence happened just two weeks after she had taken over the pub and she was now fully aware of her responsibilities.

Shane Hancock, acting regulatory services manager for Herefordshire council said, 'We are fortunate to live in a beautiful county. This case serves to show what can happen when producers of waste fail to exercise the duty of care they have in respect of its disposal. These bags were obviously from the pub and should have been disposed of using the council's orange sack scheme; the rubbish should never have been in black bags at all.

It is incumbent upon all producers of trade waste to know what their responsibilities are, and I urge any who are unsure to contact the community protection team or the waste management team for advice. The consequence of not doing can be costly, as this court case demonstrates.'