The footage showed the woman brazenly walk up to the river and dump a full shopping bag of rubbish into the water before casually walking back to a car which was waiting for her
The woman is seen in the footage casually walking up to the river side and turning the shopping bag upside down to release waste into the water below(Image: Anonymous/Facebook)
An investigation has been launched after a woman was seen throwing household waste into one of Wales’ most polluted rivers. The incident occurred near George Street Bridge at the banks of the River Usk on Friday, July 26.
The footage clearly showed the woman casually walking up to the riverbank and kneeling down before emptying the large shopping bag of its contents and returning to a car which was waiting for her. A significant amount of waste was illegally disposed of in the shocking incident.
An eyewitness alleged a full black bag’s worth of waste was thrown into the river minutes before. Never miss a Newport story by subscribing to our newsletter here
The city council has informed Natural Resources Wales and Fly-tipping Action Wales of the latest incident and is conducting its own investigation to try to track down the woman responsible.
She then stands up and brazenly walks back to a car which is waiting for her(Image: Anonymous/Facebook)
Some of what she released into the River Usk(Image: Anonymous/Facebook)
The River Usk is a designated site of special scientific interest and is also a special area of conservation and yet it remains one of the UK’s most polluted rivers and many parts of it are unsafe to enter.
Standing beside the banks of the Usk near Newport city centre it’s clear the incident isn’t isolated. Visible are trolleys and children’s toys among other discarded items in the mud beside the river.
Angela Jones, who has long campaigned for better river health, said: “So many of us work tirelessly to protect our rivers and hold big polluters to account and then we see things like this.
“This disregard for nature comes from people of all ages and backgrounds. It’s a total disgrace.
“We all share this planet. Let’s be kind, show respect and protect the beauty that nature so generously offers us. It’s not just a privilege, it’s a responsibility.”
Newport city council urged residents to report any instances of illegally dumped waste through their website by calling 01663 656656.