FINES of more than £2000 which were dished out to shop keepers for waste offences have been cancelled.

The fines, which totalled £2400, issued to businesses in Dinas Powys in December 2016 were for alleged inappropriate storage of cardboard and paper including having storage bins without locks on them.

Five shops were affected in the Castle Drive shopping parade including Valley View Fruit Store and A Class Apart.

The Vale council recently contracted 3GS to carry out environmental enforcement in the county in July 2016.

The news has been welcomed by Plaid Cymru members who say they have been campaigning against the fines.

Plaid Cymru spokesman Richard Grigg said that this was "wonderful news" and that "the harsh and unjust behaviour of the Vale’s enforcement contractors is undermining the economic health of local shopping centres."

Councillor Val Hartrey said: "We have been supporting the traders from day one. They have been very badly treated.

"There was no attempt to discuss matters with the traders just a serving of a notice demanding £300 or £600 from each shop.

"The Vale council really must insist that their contractors act in a more responsible manner.

Cllr Keith Hatton welcomed the news and said that common sense had prevailed.

"We are very committed to encourage local shopping areas and this type of action by the contractors was over the top," he said.

Fellow Plaid councillor Chris Franks said: "I’m afraid in all too many cases the Vale council gives the impression that it is not on the side of businesses and indeed their customers."

Miles Punter, director of environment and housing services at the Vale, said: "The council asked environmental enforcement agency 3GS to review the circumstances in which a small number of businesses in Dinas Powys were issued with fixed penalty notices.

"As a result, these notices have now been rescinded.

"We have since placed two adverts in the local press stressing the standards businesses have to adhere to when it comes to recycling and waste.

"We will also be undertaking a further exercise to highlight the responsibilities of commercial businesses in this respect in the coming weeks."

Paul Buttivant, managing director of 3GS, said: "We support the council’s decision and the fixed penalty notices in question have all now been rescinded."