‘Beautiful’ country road is strewn with fly-tipped wood, wardrobes and cardboard as ‘fuming’ villagers call for CCTV cameras to stop ‘wicked’ rubbish dumping criminals
- Rubbish dumped on old A18 roads in Ealand and Crowle, Grimsby, Scunthorpe
- Furious residents woke up to hundreds of metres of dumped rubbish on April 6
- Fly-tipping is serious criminal offence which can result in jail time and huge fines
A ‘beautiful’ country road has been turned into an eyesore after becoming a fly-tipping dumping ground overnight.
Discarded furniture, wardrobes, tyres and cardboard can be seen strewn for hundreds of metres along the old A18 roads near Ealand and Crowle in Grimsby, Scunthorpe.
‘Fuming’ residents are demanding CCTV cameras be installed after the rubbish was dumped on April 6, while urging police to capture and punish the ‘wicked’ criminals responsible.
Abbie Ivansen, who lives on Outgate, told Scunthorpe Live: ‘It really makes me mad that someone would toss their old junk in a beautiful country road.
‘They are so beautiful but when you see this mess and waste, it’s just too much.
‘Clearly someone didn’t want to pay for their rubbish to removed or tipped so they decided to abandon it in our countryside instead… I’m fuming. People who do this need to be punished for their actions.’
Discarded furniture, wardrobes, tyres and cardboard can be seen strewn for hundreds of metres along the old A18 roads near Ealand and Crowle in Grimsby, Scunthorpe
‘Fuming’ residents are demanding CCTV cameras be installed while urging police to capture and punish the ‘wicked’ rubbish dumping criminals
The rubbish can be seen dumped next to a river on the old A18 roads near Ealand and Crowle
Residents said it was not the first time rubbish had been dumped in the picturesque locale, as they urged police to catch the criminals responsible
Robyn Garnley, 52, said the stream of fly-tipped rubbish seemed to ‘go on forever’, adding that it’s not the first time it has happened.
She said: ‘I can’t tell you how frustrated I am. It really gets you down to see all this mess in a lovely part of the countryside. There is a canal nearby and it really is picturesque in summertime.
‘These wicked people should be ashamed that they are spoiling our enjoyment of the countryside. And for what? Because they cannot be bothered to pay for rubbish to be disposed of.
Fly-tipping is a serious offence which can result in fines of up to £50,000 and even jail time
Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence which carries a fine of up to £50,000 (unlimited if the case goes to the Crown Court) or an offender can even be sent to prison.
Fly-tipping is often associated with dumping waste from vehicles.
In this case, the person allowing the use of the vehicle can also be prosecuted, which means that it is possible for a prosecution to occur when only the vehicle – not the driver – has been identified.
In addition to this, vehicles involved in fly-tipping can be seized.
There are also a number of other possible penalties, including fixed penalty notices.
The respective local council takes action against people suspected or caught fly-tipping, including:
– Seizing any vehicle suspected in dumping waste in a way that cause pollution to the environment
– Prosecution, which can result in a criminal record if found guilty by the courts
– You could be fined by the Local Authority up to £400
– You could be made to pay clear up costs
Source: royalgreenwich.gov.uk
‘It’s getting ridiculous now as there have been instances in the past where people have thrown sofas in the canal… We want it to end.’
Alex Lenehan, 73, called for CCTV cameras to be installed to deter would-be fly-tippers, who he feels get away with their crimes ‘too easily’.
She told Scunthorpe Live: ‘It’s easy for people to get away with fly-tipping like this because they are so discrete and sneaky. They go to areas where they will never be found in the act.
‘And why? Because there are no CCTV cameras. If we had more of them, there would be less dumping. I’ve known instances where the fly-tippers have raided people’s bins and placed other people’s documents in there to put the blame on someone else.
‘The criminals get away too easily with their crimes which affect the majority.’
Fly-tipping is considered a serious criminal offence which can result in a prosecution at the Crown Court in the most serious cases.
Dumping rubbish can also result in fines ranging from several hundred pounds to £50,000.
The financial penalty can be unlimited if the case goes to the Crown Court.
It comes a week after a man caught illegally fly-tipping household and garden waste by a hidden council camera was jailed for six weeks.
Graham Swinbourne, 39, convinced a homeowner he would dispose of their rubbish lawfully before driving a short distance to a country lane near Gravesend in Kent.
Surveillance footage shows him dumping the haul in broad daylight on Northfleet Green Road – a fly-tipping hotspot.
The hidden camera was deployed by Gravesham council, who say he failed to cooperate with an investigation.
On March 28 Swinbourne, of New Ash Green, appeared at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to several offences relating to the incident.
He was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment and also ordered to pay £156 compensation and £250 in costs.
His jailing comes just over a year after he admitted spitting at a parking warden before telling him he had Covid.
Graham Swinbourne, 39, convinced a homeowner he would dispose of their rubbish (pictured above) lawfully before driving a short distance to a country lane near Gravesend in Kent
In February 2021 Swinbourne was handed a 12-month community order and placed under a three-month curfew after admitting common assault on a Gravesham Borough Council civil enforcement officer.
The officer had been enforcing parking restrictions and body-worn CCTV footage viewed by Medway Magistrates of that incident showed Swinbourne spitting at the officer and claiming to have coronavirus.
Speaking after the latest court hearing, Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox, Gravesham council’s cabinet member for community and leisure, said: ‘We do not tolerate fly-tipping in Gravesham and we use all powers at our disposal to identify and prosecute offenders.
‘As part of our investment in environmental enforcement we have bought and installed hidden cameras at various locations around the borough with the clear goal of bringing offenders to justice, and in this instance the evidence they provided was irrefutable.
‘Fly-tippers should beware; we can and will move our cameras. You will not know where they are or when, but the chances are they will be watching you.
Swinbourne (pictured) was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment and also ordered to pay £156 compensation and £250 in costs
‘Most of our residents are law abiding, caring citizens who want this Borough clean and tidy and want action taken against those who act in this criminal way.
‘This technology is part of our wider investment helping us tackle the scourge of fly-tipping and preventing these incidents occurring.’
Cllr Mochrie-Cox added: ‘I am grateful to the court for jailing Swinbourne, who is clearly an individual with no respect for others.
‘The sentence should send a stark warning to anyone considering dumping waste here in Gravesham: We will find you and we will take action.’
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