Fly tipping is a criminal offence, and the people who do it are criminals.
Strong stuff – but the council’s environmental crime team is in no mood to mince its words. “A lot of fly-tipping is organised by professional criminals who can gain significant financial rewards,” says senior investigating officer Lee Haworth.
“When we talk about environmental crimes, we don’t mean someone dropping a cigarette butt or sweet wrapper, anti-social though that is. We’re talking about large mounds of waste and hazardous materials, like asbestos, chemicals, computer terminals and fluorescent tubes, which blight our borough.”
Fly tipping is on the increase because of the increased cost of sending waste to landfill. So far the team has notched up 37 successful prosecutions (far more than most councils) issued 16 formal cautions and even had one offender’s car crushed. Magistrates have handed out fines of over £24,000.
It’s a get tough approach that has given the four-strong council team a reputation beyond the borough boundaries. “When the government was planning some changes to the law they actually consulted Wigan because we’ve gone further than most councils in using all the powers available”, says Lee.
Tackling the tippers is a hi-tech and occasionally hazardous business. Covert CCTV cameras are used to get evidence and the team has been specially trained in surveillance – on a course originally designed for police detectives. While some national newspapers would have their readers believe this is snooping, the council believes most people want fly tippers caught.
“It costs the council tax payer almost £150,000 every year to clean up fly tipped waste, and every prosecution we get serves as a deterrent,” says Lee.
So how can members of the public help? Senior investigating officer Simon Rowe explains: “We get calls from people who have given us the name of a possible culprit and want to know why we’ve not taken action. We always take action where evidence of an offence is available. But given the level of fines and possible prison sentences we have to prove an offender’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
“We do get quite a few anonymous tip-offs and these provide useful intelligence, but ideally we need witness statements to make enquiries. And we understand that not everyone is prepared to do this.”
One area where the public can certainly help is by making sure they don’t unwittingly use a cowboy trader to dump their rubbish. Householders are now under a ‘duty of care’ to ensure that anyone they give their waste to is properly licensed to get rid of it. Adds Simon: “If someone says they’ll get rid of your rubbish and then fly tips it in a farmer’s field you are legally equally responsible, so it’s vital to check. You can do this is by phoning the Environment Agency or checking on their website which lists licensed waste carriers.”
Thanks to the efforts of the team many former fly tipping hotspots such as lay-bys and country lanes are now clear. Says Lee: “There’s a lot of satisfaction in seeing these sites cleaned up for the benefit of local people. I like to think that we’re helping to make the borough a cleaner and safer place to live.”
Anyone convicted of illegal disposal of waste can be fined £50,000 in a Magistrates Court or an unlimited amount in Crown Court and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Vehicles used for fly tipping can be seized and a driving ban imposed on the offender.
How you can help
- To report fly tipping (and litter, graffiti, fly posting and dog fouling) - phone 01942 404364
- To check if a waste carrier is licensed - phone 08708 506506
- Check out the council’s website at www.wigan.gov.uk for advice and contacts on fly tipping and waste.
