Bishop's Stortford
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EAST HERTS: Crackdown on fly-tippers
MORE than 100 vehicles were pulled over and checked by police and East Herts Council officers in a bid to prevent fly-tipping offences as part of a special operation with Hertfordshire Constabulary and Essex Police.
They joined forces to stop and search vehicles to ensure they were not being used for criminal activity.
Inspections were carried out on vehicles around the district, including Sawbridgeworth and Bishop's Stortford.
East Herts Council officers were looking for vehicles carrying rubbish commercially without a licence, an environmental crime under the Environmental Protection Act.
Officers will investigate after 14 vehicles were found without the correct waste paperwork. The drivers could face prosecution. The businesses and households who paid them to remove the rubbish could also face fines.
Anyone carrying waste commercially has to be registered with the Environment Agency and carry waste transfer documents for their cargo. This ensures rubbish is only collected by legitimate businesses that dispose of waste responsibly - and reduces the risk that it is flytipped alongside East Herts' roads or in the countryside.
Last year East Herts Council spent over £30,000 removing unsightly flytips in the district.
Environment and conservation executive member Terence Milner said: "Unlicensed waste carriers are often the culprits behind fly-tipping across the country. It's a serious offence that is unsightly, damages the environment and costs councils thousands to clear up every year.
"Through operations such as this we're remaining vigilant against fly-tipping and sending out a clear message that crime - including environmental crime - won't be tolerated in East Herts."
Hertfordshire police inspector John Speed said: "This was part of Operation Agrarian, the latest in a series of pro-active operations with our partners, where we are tackling cross-border crime, and getting to grips with the minority of criminals causing misery to our residents. We will catch anyone using vehicles to commit their crime or transport their ill-gotten gains."
Householders and businesses have a duty of care over their rubbish to ensure it is only removed by registered waste carriers. Registrations can be checked with the Environment Agency 08708 506506 or online at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publicregister
2:23pm Tuesday 22nd April 2008
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