A Cadbury Heath man has been handed a 6-month Conditional Discharge and ordered to pay a total of £1,469.40 in fines and costs after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted him for illegally storing hundreds of tyres in the garden of his rented home.
Emilio Kovacs, 31, of The Rushy, Cadbury Heath appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on 24 April after he was arrested on warrant for failing to appear for two earlier hearings. He pleaded guilty to the offence of illegally storing waste and failing to comply with a Notice requiring him to attend an interview. He was given a 6-month Conditional Discharge and ordered to pay compensation to Bromford Housing of £506.40 and costs of £963, making a total of £1,469.40.
The court heard that Bromford Housing Association had received complaints from local residents that another resident, Kovacs was storing hundreds of tyres in the garden of his rented accommodation in Cadbury Heath. Photos of the piles of tyres taken during a visit by one of Bromford’s staff proved that they were a potentially serious fire hazard as well as an environmental hazard.
South Gloucestershire Council working in partnership with Bromford Housing started an investigation into the presence of the tyres at the address.
Despite repeated requests from both Bromford and the Council for Kovacs to make contact, no response was received. The hazard risk to the public from the tyres warranted their removal and the garden was cleared in December 2024.
Kovacs was formally required to attend an interview to give him an opportunity to explain where the tyres were from but again, he did not respond and he was subsequently summonsed to Court.
Kovacs was required to attend Bristol Magistrates on 8 December 2025 but failed to do so. The hearing was re-scheduled to 2 February 2026 but he also failed to appear on that date so the Courts issued a warrant for his arrest. Kovacs was arrested under the warrant, and on Friday 24 April 2026 he appeared before Bristol Magistrates’ where he pleaded guilty to the offences of illegally storing waste and failing to comply with a Notice requiring him to attend for interview.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “We all have a duty to store and dispose of our waste responsibly and unsafe and unsightly waste kept in residential areas can have a negative impact to the surrounding community.
“In this case, there was considerable concern expressed by nearby residents including fear of the consequences should the tyres have been set alight. There is little doubt that had Bromford not arranged their removal the tyres would still be in the garden and posing a risk.
“Prosecutions like these protect our environment and create cleaner and safer places for our communities. These are key priorities of the Liberal Democrat/ Labour partnership.”
Residents who see illegal waste issues or fly-tipping are encouraged to report it by contacting the council’s StreetCare helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/report
