'Almost caught them': Moment fuming West Midlands council bin boss chases fly-tippers caught dumping sofa

This is the dramatic moment a council bin boss chases after shameless fly-tippers and orders them to "pick it up" after seeing them dump a sofa in broad daylight.

Councillor Harris Khaliq was passing a notorious waste hotspot in Birmingham when he spotted two men dumping waste in a car park.

Dramatic footage from Sunday (October 18) shows the men scrambling back into their vehicle in Northleigh Road as Councillor Khaliq sprints after them.

The pair had left behind a pile of broken wood and furniture frames along with an old sofa.

Councillor Khaliq can be heard ordering them to pick up their rubbish as they get in the van and drive off at speed.

In the video he can be heard telling them: "You better pick that up you know, you're fly-tipping."

Speaking to the camera afterwards, he said: "Almost caught the criminals.

"I was driving past on this hotspot and what did I see? The criminals were out and they've dumped all this again.

"That video of that vehicle will be sent to enforcement.

"We will find you, we will confiscate your vehicle and we will make sure you are punished."

Councillor Khaliq, the cabinet member for city operations and digital, which oversees waste and recycling, was patrolling the area after spates of fly-tipping.

He said: "As cabinet member for city operations and digital and, more importantly, as Ward End’s local councillor, I refuse to accept fly-tipping as part of everyday life.

"Around Clove Lea Square, Northleigh Road and Overpool Road, residents are repeatedly waking up to other people’s waste dumped on their doorstep.

"With Ward End School nearby, children and families deserve clean, safe streets they can walk through with pride.

"Some days I feel less like a councillor and more like Batman, out across Ward End chasing down fly-tipping criminals - except my Batmobile is considerably less impressive.

"I have walked the ward, reported dumped waste, looked for evidence and repeatedly pushed cases through the council because residents should not have to keep living with this.

"But the serious point is that clearing rubbish after it appears is not enough. We need to catch the people responsible and make dumping waste in Birmingham carry real consequences.

"I will keep pushing for visible enforcement, stronger investigations and action against repeat offenders.

"And we are backing that ambition with investment: we are investing in street scene, including stronger street cleansing, targeted clean-ups in fly-tipping hotspots and additional enforcement capacity.

"Our officers regularly seize vans that have been involved in fly-tipping, and these are often repurposed for use in colleges for young trainee mechanics.

"Residents should not have to lower their expectations; we have to raise our enforcement standards and restore confidence that when people treat our neighbourhoods like a dumping ground, they will be pursued."