Grime crime offenders stung with fines totalling £7000 in council crack down on fly-tipping

Redbridge Council’s latest crack down on people dumping their trash on the borough’s streets has led to hefty fines for 19 local people.

The grime crime offenders were identified as the culprits responsible for a number of fly-tips uncovered in the borough during a recent council led operation.

All 19 were stung with fines totalling £7000 between them, after piles of dumped rubbish were traced back to them by council enforcement officers trawling through the mountains of mess looking for evidence.

The two-day operation saw council enforcement officers team up with their colleagues in Street Cleansing to investigate and clear 5 tonnes of rubbish, from 91 fly-tips across the East and South of the borough, over the weekend of June 5 and 6.

Among the rubbish discovered discarded on the streets was a mop and bucket, broken furniture, garden waste, a sofa and clothing.

As part of its Our Streets strategy, the council is taking a zero-tolerance stance on grime crime and will fine or prosecute any individual or business caught dumping rubbish in Redbridge.

All fly tips made known to the council are recorded and investigated, with enforcement action being taken if evidence is found. The council aims to clear all recorded fly-tips within 24 hours of it being reported.

Redbridge Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Civic Pride, Cllr Jo Blackman, said: “Dumping rubbish and destroying our environment is a criminal offence and we will not tolerate it. Our uniformed Enforcement Officers and Street Cleansing Team are working hard to clear up rubbish and catch those responsible.

“All of our residents deserve to live in a clean and safe environment. This is especially important now in the face of this pandemic. It is up to all of us to keep our streets clean, and report those we see fly-tipping. We won’t think twice about bringing down the full weight of the law to prosecute those caught making a mess of our borough.”

Residents are strongly urged to report any fly-tips they see via the council’s Report it page, which enables residents to make a report quickly and easily, and attach images of the fly-tip:  https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/report-it/

As part of the continuing work to clamp down on fly-tipping, a joint patrol between the council’s Street Cleansing Team, and Enforcement Officers will also take place every weekend to tackle fly-tip hot spots around the borough.

An Illegal Dumping campaign is also set to be launched in the borough this month to raise awareness of the harmful impact fly-tipping has on communities and local neighbourhoods, and to serve as a reminder of the harsh fines culprits face for leaving their mess behind on the borough’s streets.   

For more information about disposing of waste and recycling in the borough please visit: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/bins-waste-and-recycling/