Council goes covert to beat fly-tippers

COUNCIL bosses are responding to 30 daily reports of fly-tipping by “blocking access” and employing “covert surveillance.

The figure emerged as the Advertiser followed up calls for Rotherham Borough Council to address an ongoing issue on Back Lane, near Greasbrough, and less than a week after four dead ponies were dumped amid waste at a rural roadside near Wath.

Shirley Hallam, Streetpride Area Manager for Rotherham Borough Council, said that a range of measures had been taken to address fly-tipping — with annual clean-up costs totalling £83,000.

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Ms Hallam said: “At the moment we have a pro-active programme of enforcement for the Rawmarsh, Wentworth, Wath, Brampton and Hoober areas.

“We are also currently introducing preventative measures as well as enforcement.  

"This involves working with several land owners to address the issue by using  signage, blocking access and covert surveillance.

“Since the council started this programme at the beginning of 2014 there have been six successful prosecutions with fines being imposed totalling £1,475.38. In addition five further cases are awaiting court action.”

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She added: "Obviously, we simply do not have the resources to patrol these areas 24 hours a day.

“Instead we use mobile CCTV cameras at fly-tipping hot-spots to capture evidence that enables us to prosecute offenders.

“This is why we are grateful to the public who witness such behaviour and for alerting us to new incidents, which are put on the list for removal.

“The cost of clearing up after fly-tippers is about £83,000 each year and depends on what is actually dumped. For example, the cost of disposing the four dead horses found dumped in the borough last week was £500.”

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Dog walker Raymond Moorcroft (64), of the Grove, Rawmarsh, branded fly-tipping on Back Lane, Greasbrough, as “absolutely disgusting”. He added: “I don’t know how people can just come and dump rubbish and tyres at a rural spot like that.

“It’s been going on for weeks now. Something has to be done. It has to stop.”

Another reader submitted images — taken last Friday (13) — of piles of debris and waste left at the roadside on Thornbury Hill Lane, near Maltby.

Shirley Hallam said: "We thank Mr Moorcroft and other members of the public for reporting fly tipping incidents.

"If anyone has any information regarding fly tipping, they are encouraged to report it through to Streetpride on 01709 336003."

 

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