Bid to catch fly-tippers

12:20pm Wednesday 15th October 2008

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MORE is to be done to track down fly-tippers across Dorset.

Waste officers said that illegal dumping cost the county a total of £101,927 over 12 months.

New tactics to crack down on the problem were discussed with Dorset councillors at a waste forum meeting in Dorchester.

Neil Randall, of Purbeck District Council, said fly-tippers would be named and shamed.

He added that councils will use national fly-tipping database Flycapture to track perpetrators.

The website will also help councils to share statistical information on fly tipping.

Changing residents’ attitudes will help ease the problem, Mr Randall said.

“We need people to understand that all our waste is a problem for all of us, not just the council,” he added.

Some of the more unusual items illegally dumped in Dorset have included unwanted conservatories, doors and old cars, Mr Randall said.

The Dorset County Council forum was held to discuss strategies for reducing waste.

Parish, district and borough councillors were invited to ask questions and find out more about what is being done to reduce waste growth.

Mr Randall said it was important to educate youngsters about fly-tipping at an early age.

“We need to start them young. It can start with throwing chewing gum on the floor. If parents don’t say or do anything about it then the child thinks it’s OK,” he said.

Mr Randall told the forum that householders make up the largest proportion of fly-tipping offenders in Dorset (33 per cent).

The next largest offender type are traders, builders and building firms (23 per cent), followed by odd jobbers and ‘white van men’ at 18 per cent.

Weymouth and Portland was the area with the lowest amount of fly-tipping – 128 incidents were recorded between 2006 to 2007.

Topping the fly-tipping table in Dorset was North Dorset District Council with 520 incidents in the same year.

East Dorset District Council had 391 incidents of fly-tipping while Purbeck District Council had 382.

Christchurch Borough Council recorded 376 fly-tipping incidents and 316 incidents were recorded in the West Dorset District Council area.

Last week the Echo featured photos from Coombe Valley Road in Weymouth, where fly-tippers were slammed for dumping furniture in the picturesque area.