Eagle-eyed resident helps catch fly-tipping duo dumping hundreds of kilos of rubbish in Redbridge

A report from a quick-thinking Redbridge resident who spotted hundreds of kilos of rubbish being dumped illegally in the borough has helped secure a successful court prosecution against the culprits.

Mike Lunangu, of Gosterwood Street, Deptford and Nkame Mayasi, of Enfield, were handed court imposed fines and costs totalling £2620 after a fly-tip on Blacksmith Close was traced back to them.

A witness spotted the pair drive up, park and unload hundreds of kilos of rubbish by a bin enclosure designated for use by residents living on a private residential estate on Blacksmith Close.

Among the rubbish the duo dumped were waste metal and concrete. The mountain of mess was later removed via the estate’s managing agents who were alerted to the fly-tip.

Determined to bring the fly-tippers to justice the witness reported the incident to Redbridge Council providing a detailed account of what happened.

It wasn’t long before an investigation by Redbridge’s Enforcement Team led to Lunangu and Mayasi being identified as those responsible for the fly-tipping.

The pair were summonsed to Barkingside Magistrates Court and charged with fly-tipping.  On Tuesday 26 April, both men appeared at court and pleaded guilty to fly-tipping. They were each sentenced to a fine and ordered to pay court and council costs, and pay compensation, totalling £1,310.         

Sarah Foster, Redbridge Council’s Operational Director for Civic Pride, said: “Redbridge is our home and we all deserve to live in a clean and safe environment. Anyone coming into our borough thinking they can just dump their rubbish and go, should think again.

“This latest successful prosecution stems from a local witness coming forward and working with our council enforcement teams to bring this pair to justice. It should serve as a warning to other potential offenders that as a community we won’t tolerate this kind of dreadful, selfish behaviour.”

The prosecution is part of a range of initiatives being deployed by the council to tackle fly-tipping in Redbridge, which also recently included the launch of Redbridge Wall of Shame – a new microsite dedicated to identifying culprits caught on camera dumping their trash on the borough’s streets and committing other environmental crimes.

Redbridge ‘Wall of Shame’ shares CCTV footage of grime crime offenders selfishly making neighbourhoods messy and causing road and walkway obstructions for residents by dumping rubbish illegally.

Local people are being encouraged to view the footage and share any information that may help identify the culprits in the footage to help keep Redbridge clean and tidy.

To view the latest clips head to: https://wallofshame.redbridge.gov.uk/

If you are able to identify any of the culprits caught on camera contact Redbridge Council on: Cleansing.Services@redbridge.gov.uk

Residents can easily report any fly-tips they spot in the borough online through the council’s Report It page:  https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/report-it/

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 on council land and the highway within 24 hours of it being reported.

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