THE proceeds of crime order against a skip hire company owner has been increased today (Tuesday) after it was realised that a pension plan was worth more than first thought.

In April, Michael Gaffey was originally ordered to pay £113,293 towards the cost of the clean-up of a waste site.

But at Mold Crown Court today the amount was increased to £148,332 to take into account the true value of the Prudential pension plan.

Judge Niclas Parry made the agreed order and said that the additional money would also go as compensation to Natural Resources Wales’s clean-up costs.

The court heard that a grant of £300,000 had also been received from the Welsh Government.

In April, it was agreed the three owners of the skip hire business – last year jailed after officials found they were storing far more waste than allowed on their yard – had a criminal benefit of a million and a half pounds.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) officers found Porthmadog Skip Hire, based at Penamser Industrial Estate, had huge stockpiles of waste which posed potential risks to individuals, businesses and the environments.

Drone footage showed huge piles of waste covering the entire site prompting complaints from businesses and Porthmadog Town Council.

The cost of the clean-up, estimated at £350,000, fell on the public purse, a court was told.

Gaffey, 59, of Maes Gerddi, Porthmadog, admitted breaching environment legislation, along with two others.