Goodbye, Cliff: Owner Loses His Backyard Alligator

A man who kept an unlicensed alligator in his backyard has been ordered to pay nearly £1,000 in fines and costs. Ashley Betts, 32, housed Cliff, an American alligator, in a custom-built outhouse and tank for over a year before it was discovered and seized by police.

The 4ft-long reptile was found on July 11 of last year when officers visited Betts' home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, for an unrelated matter and asked to see his licence for the animal. At Sheffield Magistrates' Court, Betts claimed he was unaware that a licence was required to keep an alligator, which is native to the US and Mexico.

He pleaded guilty to breaching the Keeping Dangerous Animals Act and was fined £333, ordered to pay a £133 surcharge, and £468 in costs. Betts is now working to have Cliff returned to him, with the alligator currently being housed at an undisclosed park in Liverpool.

Betts' defence counsel, James Gray, clarified that his client was not being prosecuted for neglect or mistreatment of the animal, adding that Betts hopes to obtain the proper licence in the future and apply for the return of the alligator.

E&K Solicitors