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Clean bandits! Walsall Council teams thorough clean-up operation on fly-tipping hot spot

A fly-tipping hotspot near Walsall town centre has been targeted by council chiefs with a new approach.

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The scene at Bradford Lane before the operation

Bradford Lane, which runs directly behind shops situated on Bradford Street, was identified by the Walsall Council's Community Protection team as an area in need of attention and a test target for the environmental crime scene project.

The project, which launched in February, is a partnership effort between Walsall Council and One Palfrey Big Local, and it has seen officers cordoning off fly-tipped waste like a crime scene under investigation in hopes that it will deter people from committing offences in future.

The operations team, joined by police community safety officers and community protection and safety representatives, were met with mounds of rubbish made up of clothing, old furniture and general household waste when they visited the site.

A successful day of action saw crime scenes established, evidence gathered, and rubbish cleared, leaving the area both cleaner and safer.

Councillor Kerry Murphy, portfolio holder for street pride at Walsall Council, said: “It is pleasing to see our environmental crime scene initiative have another positive impact.

“Not only has the area been left clean and safe, but we hope that through education and monitoring, it will stay that way.

“Fly-tipping is a serious crime and we need residents' help to let us know where these incidents are taking place so we can take action.”

All rubbish on the street was sifted through meticulously on the day, with evidence collected before the clean-up process began.

Members of the team also managed to contact the owner of a skip which was overflowing in the area to make arrangements for it to be collected.

And in an effort to prevent re-offending, a CCTV camera has been installed in the area to assist with the monitoring efforts of the Street Pride team.