The Menace of FlyTipping 

Fly Tippers - Take Note!!   We are AFTER you!

This is the clear message to "Fly Tippers" from The Environmental Agency, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Local Authorities, A.F.T.E.R. and disgusted but enlightened members of the public -  We repeat

We are AFTER you!

War has been declared on those irresponsible people who blight the countryside. 
People can no longer tolerate the indiscriminate dumping of rubbish which is spoiling the environment and creating unnecessary health hazards.

Fly tipping is 'the illegal deposit of any waste onto land i.e. waste dumped or tipped on a site with no licence to accept waste'. Waste includes: general household waste; larger domestic items including fridges and mattresses; garden refuse; and commercial waste such as builders' rubble, clinical waste and tyres. Such waste can occur in any quantities in any mixture in any location.

At the very least illegal dumping of waste is a blight on our environment, an open sore on the landscape and an unnecessary cash burden on taxpayers or landowners. At the worst it can cause long lasting contamination, pollution and put human health at risk.

Fly Tipping sites all over Scotland are being targeted by A.F.T.E.R.
(Anti Fly Tipping & Environmental Rescue)

AFTER has now embarked on an ambitious plan that is designed to eradicate fly tipping or at the very least reduce it by 80% within three years.   Their technical experts have helped to develop a miniature closed circuit camera which requires little or no lighting to give perfect pictures.

The cameras can be concealed on a nearby object and can even be mounted up to 775 yards from the scene using a special close-up lens.  Cameras are usually battery operated and they can relay any signals via land line or a small video transmitter to a control room over five miles away.

Fly Tipping has become more prevalent in recent years and it requires a radical rethink -  it needs modern and unique ideas to eradicate it.   AFTER is presently recruiting teams of people to help clear up the present fly tipping sites and restore them to original beauty. These people will be trained in aspects of environmental protection, wildlife preservation and in modern investigation techniques.

How do we go about reducing fly-tipping?

What should you do when you discover fly tipping? 
  If you observe fly tipping - or, more often, discover fly tipped waste some time after the tippers have flown, you should observe the following "do’s and don’ts":

· Visually inspect the waste.
Stand up-wind of it to avoid any possible fumes. Note down what it consists of, what quantities are involved, and where it is lying -in particular whether it is in, or anywhere near, to water (surface water or ground water).

· Do not touch the waste unless it is clearly inert. Fly tipped waste can sometimes include toxic chemicals, asbestos, broken glass, or clinical waste (e.g.contaminated syringes). What initially appears to be simply a pile of inert builders’ rubble or soil may actually contain hazardous substances.

· Do not disturb the site. There may be evidence which can lead to tracing the culprits and prosecution.

· Contact the Local Authority or the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency for immediate advice on what steps to take to secure the safe removal of the waste.

Write down as many relevant details as possible for use by the Police, Local Authority or the appropriate Agency. Please record the following details:

1     The day, date and time that you saw the fly tipping
         (including when the tipping stopped)

2     Who was with you

3     What you saw

(i) Make a note of how many people you saw fly tipping and what they looked like. Did you recognise any of them?
(ii) What did these people actually do?
(iii) Was there a vehicle involved? If so what did it look like? What was its make and colour and what was its registration number? Were there any distinguishing features on the vehicle?

4    Where you were when you saw the fly tipping;
(i) What kind of view did you have?
(ii) How far away were you?
(iii) What was the weather like, and was it dark?

5     A description of what was tipped:
(i) How much was tipped?
(ii) What did it look like (e.g. blacks bags, drums etc)?

If you see someone fly tipping it is important to write down the details as soon as possible.

Also please

· Take photographs of the waste itself and of any relevant evidence (e.g.tyre tracks); where possible use the date code on your camera.  Photographs may be useful not only as evidence against fly tippers but also to avoid any subsequent misunderstandings by regulators about the incident and your own role in dealing with it.

· Record details of how the waste was subsequently dealt with. When the waste was tipped on your land you should always ask for proof that any contractor (other than a Local Authority) who removes the waste is registered as a carrier of waste, and seek full details of how and where the waste will be disposed.

· Ensure that the incident is recorded in official statistics: even if the incident is not followed-up by the Police and/or the appropriate Agency and/or Local Authority, provide them all with any information on the incident and encourage them to record it, so that the incidence of this form of environmental crime is correctly reported in official crime statistics.

Please remember that fly tippers are doing something illegal. They do not want to be caught. Some fly-tippers may become violent. You should not approach them.

Some wastes can be hazardous. Again you should not approach it and certainly not open any black bags, drums etc.

e-mail