A Filton man has been handed a 12-month community order and ordered to pay more than £2,000 after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted him for criminal damages and littering following multiple discoveries of human waste at a bus stop in Mayshill, South Gloucestershire.
Sean Daley, 54, of Gloucester Road North, Filton, appeared at Bristol Crown Court on 20 July where he pleaded guilty to criminal damage and littering. He was given a 12-month community order, including 10 rehabilitation activity days, and was fined £80 and ordered to pay £990 in compensation to the council, plus costs of £1,000, totalling £2,070.
The court heard that from early September 2025, South Gloucestershire Council began to receive reports that a bus stop on Badminton Road in Mayshill was repeatedly being used as a toilet, with human waste and used tissue paper being left behind.
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 5 September and 21 November 2025 human waste was found in and around the bus stop on 10 occasions. 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.
Just before 1pm on 7 October 2025 a council dog warden observed a man sat on the bench in the bus stop. Whilst passing she could see the man had now stood up in just his underwear, and he was pulling up his trousers. Before she was able to turn around to challenge the man, he left the area. It was later found that human waste was again left inside of the bus stop.
Further incidents were recorded during October, leading the council to remove the bus stop’s bench seating and later install CCTV monitoring equipment nearby.
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.
Due to the frequency of events and the difficulty to identify the offender using usual lines of enquiry, environmental enforcement officers carried out an early morning surveillance operation. Shortly before 4am on 21 November, officers observed a man littering cigarettes and tissues before cycling away towards Yate. They discretely followed the man as he cycled to his workplace in Yate, where he was stopped and identified himself as Sean Daley, and provided a Filton address. He was notified that he would be required to attend an interview.
Daley was interviewed on 22 December 2025, where he claimed that he had only visited the bus stop and used it as a toilet on one occasion due to health issues, but stated that this was only one time. However, 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 21 November 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 was advised this was an offence of littering which he accepted and confirmed he was aware. He also accepted that his actions created a public health risk and acknowledged that nobody else was using the bus stop as a toilet. Daley was advised he would be reported for summons for the offences of criminal damage and littering.
Councillor John Bradbury, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “I’m pleased to see this case conclude with a successful prosecution after the council’s environmental enforcement team acted swiftly and decisively to catch the offender.
“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.”
Residents who observe littering, illegal fly-tipping, waste crimes or criminal damage 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/flytipping
