​Alan Davies, 32, David Smith, 22, Harry Butler, 34, Harry Smith, 29, James Fallows Senior, 51, James Fallows Junior, 26, and Jimmy Butler, 35, all of Romany Close, Hereford, all unlawfully carried and dealt in scrap metal during a two-year period between 2023 and 2025, with scrapyard payment records showing combined receipts of £538,907.43. Susie Butler, 37, of the same address, admitted a single obstruction offence. Stay updated with all the latest Herefordshire news that matters to you! Read the local news and stay informed with our advert-free app, read the paper before anyone else via: The Digital Edition, gain unlimited access to Hereford Times website, and much more. The investigation began after Herefordshire Council’s community protection team identified substantial fly-tipped waste at Romany Close in November 2024, including tyre fragments and stripped-metal waste. Scrap-yard checks linked regular, high-value deposits to the seven men. Further checks confirmed that none of the seven held a scrap-metal dealer licence, only one held a waste-carrier registration, and none could produce waste transfer documentation evidencing the origin of the metals. All seven also obstructed the investigation by failing to provide information when required. Susie Butler also failed to provide information to officers. On October 28, Hereford magistrates imposed fines and costs of £6,100 on each of the men and £700 on Susie Butler, bringing overall financial penalties to £43,400. Magistrates described the sums involved as “glittering amounts of money,” noting the bench’s first instinct was to impose penalties of £10,000 each, before applying guideline adjustments and the one-third reduction for early guilty pleas. The court made clear there would be no remissions in view of the “amazing amounts of money involved.” ALSO READ: The court also granted three-year CBOs against the seven men, including conditions that prohibit engaging in or promoting unlicensed scrap-metal or waste-collection business, possessing unlawfully sourced scrap or waste, receiving remuneration for licensable activities without the correct licence, storing scrap metal in the open air at Romany Close or Watery Lane, Hereford, vehicle breaking within Romany Close or Watery Lane, and placing vehicles that obstruct the public highway at those locations. Cllr Barry Durkin, Cabinet Member for Roads and Regulatory Services, said: “This isn’t just about waste – it’s about law, order and respect for our communities. What are your thoughts? You can send a letter to the editor to have your say by clicking here. Letters should not exceed 250 words and local issues take precedence. “The scale of this operation shows a blatant disregard for both the environment and the rules that protect it. These convictions send a strong message: Herefordshire will not be a safe haven for illegal operators.” Anyone who carries out business