Wiltshire Council's bid to catch illegal fly-tippers in 'zero-tolerance' campaign
Illegal fly-tipping is being targeted by Wiltshire Council as it launches a campaign to catch those responsible.
The crackdown is part of the council’s We’re Targeting Fly-tippers campaign.
Extra investment has been put into new technology and police officers in a bid to catch fly-tippers.
A number of fixed penalty notices have been issued to fly-tippers across Wiltshire.
A resident from Bromham had to pay a £400 fine after admitting to illegally dumping household waste in a layby off the A361, close to the beauty spot of Morgan’s Hill.
The individual confessed under caution that they acted alone when depositing the waste in the layby.
They said they had missed their domestic waste collection and did not get to the recycling centre in Devizes before it closed.
They added that the smell of the waste in the car was so unpleasant, they couldn’t return home with it and so they fly-tipped it.
A resident from the Bristol area was also fined after waste associated with them was found on Whitehill Lane in Royal Wootton Bassett.
Another £400 fine was given to a resident after their van was used in a fly-tipping incident on a byway off Milston Road in Durrington.
It was witnessed by a member of the public, who saw someone throw a carpet underlay from a van onto a grass verge.
The witness took photographs of the vehicle and its registration, and then reported it.
Councillor Caroline Thomas, cabinet member for highways and waste, said: “These are great examples that highlight the work we are doing to combat fly-tipping as part of our We’re Targeting Fly-tippers campaign.
“These fixed penalty notices should be a reminder to Wiltshire residents to be extra vigilant when paying someone to take their waste away.
"Some people who advertise waste collections on social media are unlicensed to remove waste.
"People should always check for a waste carrier licence and take down the vehicle details of anyone who takes away their waste or they could be fined if the waste is dumped.
“One of our business plan commitments is to reduce fly-tipping in Wiltshire. That’s why we have invested more money into covert cameras and officers to catch fly-tippers in the act, as part of our zero-tolerance approach.”