Council to launch crackdown on "enviro-crime"

This picture shows the scene in America Lane near Brampton Bierlow days after our front page story telling how Rotherham Borough Council was pledging to clamp down on litter, fly-tipping and dog fouling.

Despite taking away most of the rubbish after it was reported on Monday, the council left behind several items on private land just a few feet from the roadside verge.

These included several empty cooking oil drums and aluminium-covered insulation fibre, which could be hazardous to wildlife.

The pile of rubbish appeared to be waste from a takeaway or restaurant, with at least ten drums of cooking oil, empty bleach and washing powder containers, and used cardboard boxes for poppadoms, chips and eggs.

The quiet country road is a hotspot for fly-tipping - with 11 incidents reported last year - because it is little-used and sheltered from the main road, Packman Road.

The council’s community protection manager, Matthew Finn, said: “Where we find evidence of the source of the waste we will take enforcement action.”

But he said the rubbish on the farmer’s field had been reported to the landowner as it was not legally the council’s responsibility.

Further up the road on Wednesday, another pile of fly-tipped waste included a carpet, bedroom furniture, a flat screen TV, black bin liners and even an artificial Christmas tree, complete with baubles and fairy lights.

On Monday, the council’s Cabinet heard details of plans to hire a dedicated team of wardens to catch people flouting waste laws.

More use will also be made of covert CCTV cameras at known fly-tipping sites.

A link-up with Doncaster Council was approved by RMBC lead commissioner Sir Derek Myers at Monday’s meeting.

He said: “This is clearly in line with public expectations and is the right thing to do. Those who pollute their neighbours’ environment should be brought to book.”

Cllr Emma Hoddinott, Cabinet member for waste, roads and community safety, said the new arrangements should be in place by April 1 and there would be more wardens across the borough, not only in Rotherham town centre.

She added: “We know the issues of litter, dog-fouling and fly-tipping are real bugbears for our residents.

“We are very keen to step up action against people who carry out these actions. It’s unacceptable and has a detrimental impact on our neighbourhoods.”

Report fly-tipping on 01709 336003.