Croydon Council issued 15 fixed penalty fines (FPNs) to fly-tippers earlier this week, following an early-morning operation.
On Monday (1 September), the council’s environmental enforcement staff started work at 5.30am to crack down on fly-tipping.
Rubbish bags that had been left on Portland Road and Cherry Orchard Road ‘many days before collections were due’, were searched for evidence about where they had come from.
The bags contained a mixture of commercial and household waste and officers found sufficient proof to issue 15 £80 FPNs to guilty parties (details of which have not been released).
Street cleaning staff from waste management firm Veolia then cleared the roads to ensure they were left in a ‘spotless condition’.
The enforcement team also spoke to the managers of several early-opening businesses to check they all had the necessary contracts in place to properly dispose of their trade waste.
The council said that this area will continue to be targeted in the coming weeks – and officers will talk to all nearby business to ensure they are not dodging costs by getting rid of commercial waste illegally.
“Tackling fly-tipping is a huge priority for this council”
Councillor Stuart Collins, cabinet member for a clean and green Croydon, said: “Local residents who were up early enough to see this highly visible patrol operation were quick to thank our team for their efforts.
“It only takes a small minority of careless or lazy people to spoil the environment for everyone – so our staff got a massive vote of thanks for taking the time to challenge anyone who they found not following the rules. Tackling fly-tipping is a huge priority for this council and wherever we can we are clamping down on anyone who we catch.”
He added: “People will soon get the message not to mess with Croydon – it’s so much better to take pride in the place you live or work.”
The early-morning operation is the latest action the council has taken to crack down on fly-tipping. Last week, it reminded residents contracting someone to remove their waste to check the operator’s waste carrier’s licence.
It is a legal obligation for householders to ensure registered waste carriers remove waste from their premises, or they could be liable to prosecution, a large fine and/or a criminal record.
Read more about Croydon council’s attempts to crack down on fly-tipping.
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