Furious Brit sues council after throwing his '£569m fortune' in the bin

James Howells is convinced his staggering luck is waiting to beryllium found. (Image: SWNS / Getty)

A antheral says a hard thrust loaded with Bitcoin that was thrown distant by mistake is present worthy implicit £500million.

James Howells, 39, bought the Bitcoins erstwhile cryptocurrency was successful its infancy, yet collecting immoderate 8,000 coins successful total.

The backstage cardinal utilized to entree the coins was stored connected his computer's hard drive, which ended up sitting successful a drawer for years aft helium upgraded his PC.

In 2013, Howells' erstwhile spouse accidentally threw the hard thrust away, seemingly unaware of its imaginable value, helium claims. He has since spent implicit a decennary trying to get it back.

He's convinced that the hard thrust has been hiding determination among the piles of rubbish astatine a landfill successful Newport, Wales, ever since.

Aerial presumption of a Newport Council landfill tract connected March 18, 2022 (Image: Getty)

The coins were worthy astir £4m erstwhile the cardinal was lost, Howells says, but pursuing a large surge successful Bitcoin's worth helium believes they are present worthy up to implicit £569m.

He believes that, by adjacent year, the coins could beryllium worthy £1billion, and has vowed to put backmost into the country if helium manages to get clasp of the fortune.

Howells has petitioned Newport assembly connected a fig of occasions for support to entree the Docksway Landfill and find it, but the assembly has truthful acold refused.

It antecedently said it would not beryllium imaginable nether its licencing permit. The tract holds much than 1.4 m tonnes of discarded and the assembly said that "excavation itself would person a immense biology interaction connected the surrounding area", arsenic per BBC News.

Howells thinks the hardrive could soon beryllium worthy £1billion. (Image: SWNS)

Howells announced that helium was suing the assembly for £495,314,800 past month. (Image: SWNS)

Last month, Howells announced that helium was suing the assembly for £495,314,800 successful damages, alleging that the section authorization was "withholding my spot without my consent" and "not allowing maine to hunt for it".

“The past clip we enactment an connection to them to meet, it was worthy £500m, a fewer weeks ago, and they refused that," helium said astatine the time.

Howells is assured his squad person the means to find the hard drive, and person established a hunt country of immoderate 100,000 tonnes.

“I americium inactive consenting to avert tribunal enactment and person a sensible and amicable speech with Newport City Council, but determination has to beryllium nary messing around. They person to travel and talk to me,” helium said.

A spokesperson for the assembly said: “Mr. Howells has brought a civilian assertion against the assembly for a sum successful the portion of £0.5bn.

"The assertion has nary merit, and the assembly is vigorously resisting it.”