Fighting back against fly-tipping
“It’s one of the worst cases I’ve seen, but we will ensure that it is cleared as soon as possible.”
That’s the verdict of fly-tipping investigations officer Sylvester Lewis as he arrives at the scene of a shocking pile of waste illegally dumped in a location in the south of the borough.
“It’s my job to make sure rubbish like this is cleared quickly to make it as safe and as pleasant as possible for local people,” he continues.
Sylvester and his fellow officers respond to illegal rubbish dumping just like this across the length and breadth of the borough. They gather information from their own investigations alongside reports by residents, which are vital in helping the council catch the perpetrators.
Speaking at the scene of this case, Sylvester explains the process of how he and his team investigate fly-tips, clear the rubbish, and fine and prosecute those responsible. He says:
“We have received numerous reports and observed people using this street for fly-tipping. It’s turned out to be a huge pile of waste - an absolute blight on the local community and we will always take the strongest possible action.
“Often, we find evidence of the perpetrators in the rubbish itself – names and addresses on packaging - particularly if it is smaller items such as sacks of waste. At this location for example, I’ve photographed evidence already and will be issuing a fine.”
As the council’s contractors arrive to assess and begin the clean-up operation, Sylvester works to ascertain who dumped this huge pile of waste materials. He says:
“We’ve investigated and have confirmed that a local business is responsible. One person has come forward, and we will immediately issue them with an £800 fine and get started clearing up – so that’s a job well done.”
Cllr Clyde Loakes MBE, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate and Air Quality said: “Local people should not have to tolerate fly-tipping in any form, let alone this shocking and disgusting mess. I’m grateful to the residents who reported it allowing our teams to take swift action.
“I’m pleased to report that we cleared this street later that day and issued an £800 fixed penalty notice, which was accepted to avoid prosecution.
“We will continue to ensure that those irresponsibly and illegally dumping rubbish on our streets are met with the strongest possible enforcement action. To help we are adding more mobile CCTV cameras to our response capability to catch and deter those who fly-tip and treat our neighbourhoods with criminal disrespect."
“Together with residents, we will beat fly-tipping!”