Instead, take the following steps to help officers to investigate:
- Make a note of the time and date, their description, what they look like, what they were wearing, what they said, what accent they had;
- Make a note of what they dumped and where, take note of the weather and how far away you were at the time;
- Write down the registration number and description of any vehicle they were using;
- Never touch any waste that has been dumped as it may be hazardous and contain harmful substances, chemicals, glass or needles. The officers are specially trained and carry special equipment for dealing with tipped waste. Also there may be clues which will help lead officers to the culprits, so please treat the waste as a crime scene and don’t touch or remove anything; Please also be aware of suspect packages amongst fly tipped waste. If you see anything suspicious call the police on 0161 872 5050.
- You may be asked to give a witness statement and supply any photographs that you took of any fly tipipng incidents. Sometimes all we need are the details of when the incident took place and who was involved. We may not always be able to take action but the arrangements can be made to have the waste removed.
When there is no evidence and we cannot investigate, the complaint will be referred to the Council’s Cleansing Department or Neighbourhood Teams for removal. If the fly tipping occurs on Council Land, the complaint may be referred to the relevant department for action.
Private Land
Private land owners have a responsibility for removing waste from their land and action can be taken against land owners who allow tipping on their land. If the complaint refers to an accumulation of waste in domestic or commercial premises the Public Health Section will investigate.
Householder’s Duty of Care
Recent legislation introduced under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 has placed a legal duty on householders to ensure that they only pass waste to a licenced waste carrier. If you ask someone to remove waste for you or if someone knocks at your door offering to remove waste, ask to see their Waste Carrier’s Registration Certificate. Genuine Waste Contractors will be happy to show you.
If you pass waste to someone without checking, and they dump it, you could be fined up to £5,000. To check the Environment Agency’s list of licenced waste contractors ring the hotline on: 08708 506 506 or click on the following: Public Registers (External Link)
Some Final Points to Remember
- Fly Tipping on any land where there is no waste management licence in place is a criminal offence. Where offenders can’t be traced, your Council Tax is used to pay for it to be cleared.
- Leaving any waste outside Household Waste Recycling Centres when they are closed or busy is an offence.
- Passing waste to an unlicensed waste carrier is an offence.
- Dropping litter on any land is an offence. Anyone over the age of 11 can be issued with a £50 Fixed Penalty Fine.
- Do not touch any waste which has been dumped. Do not approach fly tippers in progress –They are criminals and do not want to be caught.
- Carrying waste without a waste carrier’s registration may lead to your vehicle being seized and you may be arrested.
- Fly Tipping is a crime. Offenders are prosecuted, often fined and end up with a criminal record.
