Can you help the Council identify this night-time fly-tipper?

Cheshire West and Chester Council, working closely with Cheshire Police, is asking the public to help identify a fly-tipper using the cover of darkness but caught on CCTV camera in Thornton le Moors.

The Council’s crackdown on fly-tippers recently intensified with mobile CCTV cameras being used at well-known hotspots around the borough.

Anyone caught illegally dumping waste in west Cheshire could face a fine and even a prison sentence for the most severe cases.

Camera footage, taken on 26 July at 10.34pm in Thornton le Moors, shows a female fly-tipping several bags of waste from a dark coloured vehicle.  The waste found in this location included nappies, food / drinks containers, children’s toys and a small amount of rubble.

The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: “Even though the CCTV footage is taken at night, the face of the female is visible, so please get in touch with us if you recognise her.

“The message is clear…Fly-tippers beware!  We are watching and will do all we can to track you down, and make sure you pay for what you have done.

“There is no excuse for fly tipping at all, it costs money to clear away and affects our communities, as well as potentially local wildlife.  We will take any steps necessary to find and prosecute offenders, including using CCTV.”

PC Ashley Tether said: “Fly tipping is a blight on the community and something which the Cheshire Police Rural Crime Team has been working to prevent with partners in a number of recent operations. We want to stop in their tracks those who appear to be oblivious to the damage they are causing to the countryside or town when they dump their rubbish.

“This latest initiative is great to see, and we will be working closely with the council to identify those caught on camera, so that they can be dealt with appropriately. I hope this goes as a warning to those who fly tip, that Cheshire is not your dumping ground, and you will pay the price for your actions.”

The Council is again urging residents to not be tempted to use the services of Illegal waste carriers who often target people on social media.  Unlicensed carriers often simply dump the waste along country lanes or in alleyways leaving the bill for removal and disposal with either the Council, or the landowner if it is on private land.

The Council’s Regulatory Services team will look for any evidence they can find in fly tips and any householder or small businesses found to be using rogue traders to dispose of their waste can be prosecuted.

Cllr Shore added: “Please check anyone disposing of waste for you is a licensed waste carrier – always be wary if you are approached by an individual to take your rubbish away.”

Watch the CCTV footage here: https://youtu.be/pmFDBqLD_8c . If you recognise the night-time fly-tipper please report it to the Council’s Regulatory Services team on 01244 973708 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

If you discover illegal tipping of waste or see it being tipped, report it 24 hours a day on the Council’s website or ‘Report It’ app.

Check a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency’s website:

environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers