A man who stole a wheelie bin and set fire to it has been jailed.

Shaun Bilton, 31, from Caerphilly, stole the bin from St Fagans Street, Caerphilly, on Saturday, February 9. He took it to Dafydd Williams Park and set light to it. A trolley was also left in the fire’s debris.

Police were called and officers arrested Bilton on suspicion of arson. He was later charged with the offence as well as a charge of assaulting a police officer.

Appearing before Newport Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, February 11, Bilton admitted the two charges and was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison.

The reason for the length of sentence was because Bilton was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the police officer assault and had previous convictions for attacking emergency workers.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £122.

Morgan Jones ward councillor Shayne Cook said: “I was contacted by concerned residents regarding the damaged caused by a lit bonfire in Dafydd Williams Park.

“I attended the scene and was saddened to discover the fire damage and left over rubbish which has spoilt a picnic area enjoyed by many families.

“I contacted Caerphilly County Borough Council’s waste management and they acted very promptly in removing the rubbish and cleaning up the area. However, the mindless vandalism has left a scar on the park.”

Fellow ward member Cllr Jamie Pritchard added: “I was sad to see the damage caused by the fire, the area has recently seen an increase in anti-social behaviour and therefore we have asked the local police for extra patrols.”