Police chief declares war on “depressing” and “anti-social” fly-tipping

POLICE and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings has declared war on fly-tipping as part of his bid for re-election.

The Labour candidate, who has been overseeing policing in South Yorkshire since 2014, said he wanted to move the problem up the agenda across the county and called for more co-ordinated action from local and national agencies.

Dr Billings said fly-tipping was “one of the most depressing forms of anti-social behaviour”.

He added: “People are infuriated by those people who dump unwanted items by the side of the road, in a public space, by a river or canal or down a cul-de-sac.

“It is unsightly. It makes an area look run-down. It encourages pests. It is simply not acceptable.

“Sometimes it is done for profit by unscrupulous individuals and businesses which have charged people for waste removal and safe disposal and then cheated them by dumping.

“Sometimes it is done by businesses which are trying to avoid the proper charges for the disposal of their business waste.

“Sometimes it is done by uncaring individuals who find it easier to dump household waste, white goods and furniture in a nearby street rather than taking it to the recycling centre.”

Dr Billings said there was no simple solution to fly-tipping but that agencies had to be “more determined and smarter in the ways in which we try to tackle the issue”.

He added: “If re-elected, I intend to take the responsibility for convening a high-level meeting with all the relevant local and national organisations operating in South Yorkshire.

“Together, we must examine ways in which we can best use the existing resources to cut the amount of fly-tipping, to identify and secure convictions of fly-tippers, and persuade judges and magistrates to throw the book at those who seem intent on despoiling local communities.”