James Howells continues his battle to recover the lost hard drive despite the council’s refusal

Newport City Council is facing off against James Howells, 38, in his quest to retrieve a hard drive containing Bitcoin worth a staggering £275 million. The computer engineer lost the hard drive over a decade ago during a spring clean of his office and believed it ended up in a landfill site in his home city.

Despite hiring a legal team to assist him, Howells has faced staunch opposition from the council. They have repeatedly denied his requests to excavate the landfill site, citing environmental concerns and the limitations of their environmental permit.

The council spokesperson stated, “We have informed Mr Howells on multiple occasions since 2013 that excavation is not feasible under our current permit, and such work would have a detrimental environmental impact on the area. We are the only authorized body permitted to conduct operations on the site, and our stance remains unchanged.”

Howells, however, remains determined, arguing that he has a right to his property. He has criticized the council for being “stubborn” and has expressed his intention to sue them, though he insists that bankrupting the council is not his goal.

He has proposed an environmentally friendly excavation process, which he believes would take nine to twelve months with the help of AI technology. Howells has studied aerial photographs of the site and believes the hard drive is located in a specific area, approximately 200 square meters and up to 15 meters deep.

In a statement, Howells likened the situation to a neighbour returning a lost football, emphasizing his desire for the council to cooperate. “It’s a bit like if you’re neighbours and you kick your football over next door’s fence – they have to reasonably give back your property. They can’t instead build a brick wall over your property, which is effectively what Newport City Council has done by continuing to pile waste on it.”

The battle between Howells and the council continues, highlighting the complexities of property rights in the digital age