Fly-tip battle is tough but we will succeed say Sandwell Council bosses

Officials say they face a tough challenge gathering evidence to prosecute flytippers but are working to tackle the problem in the borough.

It comes after reports of recent flytipping this week in Smethwick and mess left by travellers accessing parkland in the borough.

In Sandwell there were 3,830 reports in 2014 – up 55 per cent from 2,462 three years before.

And the cost has rocketed from £146,516 in 2012 to £236,015 in 2014.

Council bosses today said that the issue was a 'huge problem' for authorities across the Black Country but they were working hard to tackle the issue.

Sandwell Council's environment protection manager, Richard Norton, said: "The problem of fly-tipping is a huge problem for all councils and the council faces large costs in dealing with illegal and indiscriminate dumping in the borough.

"We continue to investigate all reports of fly-tipping where there is some evidence of who is responsible for the offence because we need to find out who these responsible people are who dump loads of rubbish.

"The difficulty with taking prosecutions remains the problem of securing evidence to meet the required standard of proof for a criminal prosecution.

Mr Norton said that of a total number reports of 326 incidents of fly-tipping which came with so-called evidence only 52 had 'leads that could be pursued' with 46 of them being described later as having evidence which proved to be inefficient.

There were some where witnesses refused to provide a statement, police issued a caution in one case and two cases were still being investigated.

Mr Norton added: "Officers would always respond to reports where there appeared to be information that will identify the person responsible, including visiting the addresses on correspondence found within fly-tipped waste, tracing vehicles implicated in incidents and interviewing the registered keeper and viewing CCTV recordings where available."

He said the council advises anyone who witnessed flytipping to report it online at www.sandwell.gov.uk/reportit or call 0121 569 6625.

Earlier this year, residents called for action after mattresses and bin bags were dumped outside the Newbury Tavern in Oldbury.

Sites including New Hope Road and Shireland Road in Smethwick and Salisbury Road in West Bromwich have been named as some of the hotspots in recent years.

While last year the council had to step in after rubbish was repeatedly dumped in an alleyway between Kingsway and Walters Road in Old Warley.