Between April and July this year, 170 incidents of fly-tipping were recorded by the Wokingham Borough Council. Although this is too many for a four month period, it has fallen from 223 incidents recorded in 2012. Shinfield, Swallowfield and Hurst are the parishes/towns most affected.
The law states if you have rubbish taken away from your house, you still have a duty of care to ensure that the rubbish is disposed of legally. This means that if someone takes away your rubbish and fly-tips it on the side or the middle of a road, you could be prosecuted. You will have more than likely paid the perpetrator for the pleasure of appearing in court!
Their top tips to prevent fly tipping follow are:
· Ask where rubbish is being taken
· Ask for a receipt on headed paper
· Obtain an estimate on headed paper giving details of waste disposal
· Check the trader has a valid waste carriers licence. This can be checked online at www.environment-agency.gov.uk or by calling the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506.
The potential dangers of fly-tipping are something that residents and landowners should be aware of. As well as spoiling the look of our lovely landscapes, fly-tipping can cause serious pollution, puts wildlife in danger and could cause harm to people who walk around the countryside. Areas can also be set alight by large electrical items or waste tyres and large piles of rubbish can attract arsonists. Not to mention that cleaning it all up is extremely time consuming and expensive (usually for the taxpayer!).
Info about preventing fly-tipping on private land can be found on the Country Watch page of the Thames Valley Police website.
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