Wellington fly-tipper hit with hefty fine after council issues CCTV appeal
A fly-tipper who dumped construction waste at the back of houses, causing a fire risk, has been tracked down and handed a £1,000 fine following a CCTV appeal by Telford & Wrekin Council.
Through Telford and Wrekin Watch – an initiative launched by the council to tackle the scourge of fly-tipping – an appeal was made on social media to trace the owner of an unregistered van.
The vehicle had been caught on camera tipping a load of wood and tiles in an alleyway in Urban Gardens, Wellington, in September. Footage showed a man directing the driver as he reversed the Ford Transit into the alleyway and shamelessly tipped the waste. The pile of rubbish posed a fire risk to nearby houses and had the potential to attract vermin.
Following the appeal, which went out last month, the council received information and as a result the owner of the van has been given a £1,000 fixed penalty notice which they have 28 days to pay. Failure to do so could result in prosecution.
Councillor Richard Overton, Deputy Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council and Cabinet Member for Homes and Enforcement said:
“This is an excellent example of how residents can join forces with the council in the fight against fly-tipping and bring offenders to justice.
“We set up Telford and Wrekin Watch to raise awareness of how to report fly-tips and to ask community-minded people to help us identify those who dump waste on our streets without a care.
“This successful appeal shows the council will use every tool to catch fly-tippers and make them accountable for their actions.
“We are doing all we can to prevent fly-tipping by educating residents about how to properly dispose of their rubbish but there is a minority who think it’s acceptable to leave it wherever they like. Unfortunately, it is the majority of law-abiding taxpayers who foot the bill and we want to put a stop to that.”
