Enforcement officers from North East Lincolnshire Council have issued the first fines to people caught dumping rubbish during the Christmas holiday.
A total of five fixed penalty notices for littering have so far been sent to people who left rubbish at the Kirkgate, Waltham Road, Garden Street and Asda bring to recycling banks. Five formal warnings have also been given and a caution.
Officers are looking into scores of more serious fly-tipping offences and have visited a number of homes as part of their investigations. They are also searching through CCTV footage and gathering evidence to catch the most serious offenders.
If you have any information that can help identify people who are dumping rubbish illegally, contact the council in confidence online at www.nelincs.gov.uk/flytipping or call 01472 326300.
Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities at NElC, said: “These fines and warnings are the first enforcement actions taken after mountains of rubbish were left at recycling banks during the Christmas holiday – and there’ll be more to come.
“During these early investigations, officers have also given advice to people on how to dispose of their rubbish responsibly and ordered extra recycling boxes where they didn’t have enough. The recycling banks are for people to dispose of reasonable amounts of paper and card, plastic bottles, and glass bottles and jars. But people who dump all sorts of other rubbish at them make it hard to reach the bins and prevent other people using them.”
More than 144 tonnes of waste was dumped illegally at the area’s bring to recycling banks during the Christmas holiday. If people have extra rubbish and recycling to dispose of, the Community Recycling Centres in Grimsby and Immingham are open every day from 8am to 6pm.
Councillor Shepherd added: “In some instances being investigated from CCTV, several people are seen pulling up to the Garibaldi Street recycling banks and dumping a car load of rubbish. It would only have taken them a few minutes more to drive to the tip in Grimsby. We want to stop people messing up the town and I ask anyone with information about these environmental offences to get in touch.”
It comes as the council signs up to the SCRAP campaign, part of a nationwide crackdown against fly-tipping. The campaign reminds people to check their waste is being taken away for disposal by a licensed carrier – either by asking to see a Waste Carriers Licence or by looking up the company on the Environment Agency website.
SCRAP stands for:
Suspect ALL waste carriers.
Check with the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506 that the provider taking your waste away is licensed.
Refuse unexpected offers to have waste taken away.
Ask what will happen to your waste.
Paperwork should be obtained – get a full receipt.
The SCRAP campaign was recently rolled out in Lincolnshire and is based on an award-winning campaign continuing to be developed by the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership and its partner authorities, with more joining all the time.
Article from NELC.
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