Appeal for help in catching 100-metre fly-tipper

Croydon Council is calling for information to help catch the fly-tipper who dumped two tonnes of household and building waste along 100 metres of a quiet road in Purley.

The fly-tipped rubbish, from pipes and paint pots to beds and toilet bowls, was strewn along a bridleway at the end of Woodcote Park Avenue around 2.30pm on Friday 9 December.

In addition to wood, glass doors and other building materials, the fly-tip also included some distinctive items, including a small brown food waste caddy with the number 5 daubed on the front and a pair of brown leopard-print suitcases.

The wooded area is popular with local residents, dog walkers and horse riders, and the council is calling on anyone who may have seen the incident or recognises the items dumped to get in touch.

Since launching its Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign two years ago, the council has successfully prosecuted over 125 fly-tippers and litterers in the courts, including one offender sentenced to six months in prison. The campaign also combines enforcement with getting more than 300 locals to get involved in community clear-ups.

A neighbour, who had been on the bridleway minutes earlier before going indoors, heard banging noises and a vehicle being driven off before they saw the fly-tip.

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It has happened before, but at night, and now they seem to be getting bolder and bolder. It has a terrible impact on the neighbourhood and everything else. It’s going to keep happening unless the people are caught and it’ll keep costing money to clear; it isn’t good for the environment and it isn’t good for the whole area.”

“This disgusting fly-tip in broad daylight is another example of why our Don’t Mess With Croydon campaign is so important. Witness statements have been crucial to the success of some of our most serious fly-tipping prosecutions, so we would urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward so we can find those responsible and stop them blighting our local environment.”

Councillor Stuart Collins, deputy leader – Clean Green Croydon

Anyone with information can either call the council’s fly-tip hotline on 0208 604 7000 or email flytip@croydon.gov.uk

2016-12-14T16:14:43+00:00 December 14th, 2016|Recent news|