A fly-tipper in Thurrock has paid a heavy price for illegal waste dumping after their lorry was crushed by the council.
The vehicle was caught on camera dumping waste in The Lawns, East Tilbury, last October.
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After being confiscated in January, the lorry was destroyed last week when the owner failed to come forward to claim it.
The crushing forms part of Thurrock Council's tough stance on illegal waste disposal in the borough.
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Local authorities spend hundreds of thousands of pounds annually clearing illegally dumped waste.
The council has emphasised that all fly-tipping incidents are investigated, with evidence being used to hold offenders accountable.
Cllr Victoria Holloway, Cabinet member for Place and the Environment, said: "This should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks it is okay to use Thurrock as a dumping ground for their waste.
"We investigate all fly-tips, and when evidence is found, action is taken to hold those responsible to account.
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Sign our petition now to call on the Government to introduce a minimum fine of £1,000 for littering or fly-tipping and to enforce mandatory jail sentences of at least three months upon a third conviction. - SIGN HERE
Do you have a story about litter you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
"There is no possibility that the driver of this lorry will ever be able to use it to dump waste again.
"Fly-tipping is a selfish and criminal act, each year we have to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to clear up the waste that illegally dumped in the borough.
"It is completely unacceptable and we will always seek to hold those that break the law to account."
The council hailed the crushing of the vehicle as demonstrating its zero-tolerance approach to environmental crime.
STOP TRASHING BRITAIN:
Thurrock Council has issued 223 Fixed Penalty Notices for fly-tipping offences in the last 12 months.
This enforcement action comes as new national figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reveal fly-tipping is on the rise, while enforcement through fixed penalty notices has declined.
The Government data for 2023/24 shows fly-tipping incidents have increased across England.
England recorded 1.5 million incidents of illegal dumping during this period with many Britons expressing outrage at what they describe as the "horrendous" state of the country regarding litter and illegal waste.
The decline in enforcement actions is particularly concerning for environmental campaigners.
Enforcement actions carried out by local authorities across England dropped from 530,000 to 528,000.
Scott Gibbins, a self-described "very keen litter picker" and member of Leicestershire Litter Wombles, expressed concern about the national situation.
"The thing I keep banging on about pride. There's no pride any more," he told GB News.
He pointed to the state of areas around shops, car parks and businesses as evidence of the problem.
"It's absolutely horrendous," he said.
The number of fixed penalty notices issued across England was 63,000 in 2023/24.
This represents a five per cent decrease from 67,000 in the previous year.
"I think most people have become litter blind because we're just so used to seeing it," Gibbins added.
The contrast between Thurrock's enforcement approach and the national decline in penalties highlights varying local authority responses to the growing problem.
Sign our petition to stop the litter blight across our United Kingdom
Find Out More...
The vehicle was caught on camera dumping waste in The Lawns, East Tilbury, last October.
SIGN OUR PETITION: CALLING FOR HARSHER PUNISHMENT FOR THOSE THAT TRASH OUR COUNTRY
After being confiscated in January, the lorry was destroyed last week when the owner failed to come forward to claim it.
The crushing forms part of Thurrock Council's tough stance on illegal waste disposal in the borough.
Sign our petition to stop the litter blight across our United Kingdom
Local authorities spend hundreds of thousands of pounds annually clearing illegally dumped waste.
The council has emphasised that all fly-tipping incidents are investigated, with evidence being used to hold offenders accountable.
Cllr Victoria Holloway, Cabinet member for Place and the Environment, said: "This should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks it is okay to use Thurrock as a dumping ground for their waste.
"We investigate all fly-tips, and when evidence is found, action is taken to hold those responsible to account.
STOP TRASHING BRITAIN:
- Motorway service stations overflowing with 'shocking' amounts of litter becoming 'countrywide issue'
- Fly-tipping cases reach record high of 1.15million cases in last year as 'disgraceful act' blights Britain
- Wildlife charity forced to pay after serial fly-tippers dump waste on historic woodland site - 'It really lowers morale'
Sign our petition now to call on the Government to introduce a minimum fine of £1,000 for littering or fly-tipping and to enforce mandatory jail sentences of at least three months upon a third conviction. - SIGN HERE
Do you have a story about litter you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
"There is no possibility that the driver of this lorry will ever be able to use it to dump waste again.
"Fly-tipping is a selfish and criminal act, each year we have to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to clear up the waste that illegally dumped in the borough.
"It is completely unacceptable and we will always seek to hold those that break the law to account."
The council hailed the crushing of the vehicle as demonstrating its zero-tolerance approach to environmental crime.
STOP TRASHING BRITAIN:
- Britons becoming ‘litter blind’ as ‘horrendous’ dumped waste blights UK: ‘There’s no pride in our country anymore!’
- Motorists could face driving licence points for fly-tipping as law changes gain support
- Neighbour row boils over as family 'break into garden and steal bin' after filling their backyard with 'piles of rubbish'
Thurrock Council has issued 223 Fixed Penalty Notices for fly-tipping offences in the last 12 months.
This enforcement action comes as new national figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reveal fly-tipping is on the rise, while enforcement through fixed penalty notices has declined.
The Government data for 2023/24 shows fly-tipping incidents have increased across England.
England recorded 1.5 million incidents of illegal dumping during this period with many Britons expressing outrage at what they describe as the "horrendous" state of the country regarding litter and illegal waste.
The decline in enforcement actions is particularly concerning for environmental campaigners.
Enforcement actions carried out by local authorities across England dropped from 530,000 to 528,000.
Scott Gibbins, a self-described "very keen litter picker" and member of Leicestershire Litter Wombles, expressed concern about the national situation.
"The thing I keep banging on about pride. There's no pride any more," he told GB News.
He pointed to the state of areas around shops, car parks and businesses as evidence of the problem.
"It's absolutely horrendous," he said.
The number of fixed penalty notices issued across England was 63,000 in 2023/24.
This represents a five per cent decrease from 67,000 in the previous year.
"I think most people have become litter blind because we're just so used to seeing it," Gibbins added.
The contrast between Thurrock's enforcement approach and the national decline in penalties highlights varying local authority responses to the growing problem.
Sign our petition to stop the litter blight across our United Kingdom
Find Out More...