The operation, which was carried out on Thursday 1st May, focused on the Chobham area which has recently suffered from a spate of fly-tipping.
Over the course of the day over 40 commercial vehicles were stopped. A number of fixed penalty notices were issued by Surrey Heath Council enforcement officers including five £300 fines for waste carrying offences.
Police also issued fixed penalty notices for offences ranging from defective vehicles to having no valid MOT.
It is a legal requirement for commercial waste carriers to register, hold a Waste Carriers Licence and for them to keep a record of the waste carried and its disposal. Three formal notices requiring the production of a Waste Carrier Licence within seven days were issued and anyone who does not comply with the request could face prosecution.
Temporary Police Sergeant Chris Tinney said: "We carried out this partnership operation as a direct response to the amount of fly-tipping incidents in Chobham recently. Our aim was to tackle those who both carry commercial waste illegally and/or who cannot account for where they dispose of their waste such as brick rubble and tree cuttings.
"Illegally disposing of waste not only incurs a cost to the tax payer but it also places road users at risk when rubbish is dumped directly onto a carriageway. I hope this operation sends a clear message to potential fly-tippers that the illegal movement and disposal of waste will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly. Further joint operations are planned for the near future."
Disregard for the Environment
Surrey Heath's Executive Head for Community, Tim Pashen said: "Fly-tipping is a total disregard for the environment. To combat this inconsiderate behavior, enforcement exercises are carried out in conjunction with the police and other agencies in order to check the legality of trade vehicles and their loads on the borough's roads. I'm pleased that these latest checks were a success, and we intend to carry out more of them in the future." - See more at:
http://www.surreyheath.gov.uk/news/news.htm?mode=10&pk_news=1179
