Zero tolerance on rubbish: Council cracks down hard on fly-tippers and waste offenders

Ten people have been hit with fines after being caught dumping rubbish across North Lincolnshire – and every single one of them has coughed up.

News of the success kicks off Keep Britain Tidy’s Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight – a national campaign to raise public awareness and tackle the problem of rogue ‘white van’ operators who lure residents with cheap rubbish removal deals on social media and then dump waste illegally in streets, lay-bys, and green spaces.

Enforcement officers from North Lincolnshire Council are stepping up their zero-tolerance approach to waste crime – tracking down offenders, interviewing them under caution, and issuing on-the-spot penalties.

Recent cases include:

• Scunthorpe North: One resident was fined £300 for carrying commercial waste without a valid Environment Agency licence. Their rubbish was found dumped in the countryside – the fly-tipping offence is now being investigated.
• Scunthorpe North: Five residents admitted leaving bin bags in alleyways and were each fined £100.
• Scunthorpe North: Two more residents were caught on CCTV dumping waste and handed £100 penalties.
• Town Ward: A business was fined £100 for allowing rubbish to pile up behind their premises.
• Bottesford: A commercial premises failed to produce waste documents and was hit with a £300 fine.

Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “Most people take pride in where they live – the hundreds of volunteers who litter pick in communities across the area every week prove that.

“But there’s a small minority who think the rules don’t apply to them. We’re not having it.

“If you dump rubbish, we will find you, we will fine you – and we’ll make sure it costs you a lot more than doing things properly.”

Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight echoes one of the council’s key messages when it comes to dumping waste – if someone offers to get rid of your rubbish for you, check their waste carrier licence and get a receipt.

To find out more about how to do this on  the fly-tipping page on our website.