South Holland fly-tippers 'will be more noticeable' during lockdown, says cabinet member
Fly-tipping in South Holland during the coronavirus outbreak can only be tackled with "public awareness and vigilance", it has been claimed.
A total of 67 fly-tipping incidents were reported in March 2020, compared to 77 in the same month last year, according to figures from South Holland District Council.
But in the past week, dumped waste has been reported in Gosberton Clough, and Spalding where a pile of rubbish, including a bicycle, was left off Marsh Road, near the A16.
Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, the council's portfolio holder for environmental services, said: "Fly-tipping is likely to be a problem for us even under the current lockdown, although I would anticipate some reduction.
"This is because the vast majority of people are abiding by the lockdown requirements, making any vehicle movements stand out more.
"Although contractors carrying out major construction jobs have been working, smaller builders and those moving rubbish in general have no legitimate reason to be moving around.
"Also, with many people staying at home or within the boundaries of their homes in the rural areas, unusual movements of lorries and vans will be more noticeable.
"Of course, the organised criminal gangs will still be keen to maintain their income, but fortunately we do not appear to experience too many instances of this type of tipping.
"Public awareness and vigilance is becoming even more crucial in our fight against fly tipping. Firstly, by making sure they do not use the cowboys, criminals, or man with a van to dispose of their household rubbish. Secondly, by safely gaining as much information as possible when they spot a vehicle being used to dump rubbish somewhere and then reporting to SHDC as soon as possible.
Tippers and their law breaking customers are becoming more savvy on how not to get caught, thanks to the publicity the investigation processes have received on TV, so the help of the public is now even more important.