The power of photography is being used to put the selfish anti-social activities of fly-tippers in the frame.
Sandwell Council is aiming to give a snapshot of fly-tipping in the borough by creating a social media wall of shame where photos can be seen of cases of rubbish being dumped, sometimes near borough beauty spots and green spaces.
Every year the local authority receives hundreds of reports of illegal fly-tipping and now, in a bid to tackle the issues and bring the offenders to justice, is using a social media wall of shame.
Photographs of fly-tipping incidents will be shared on the council website www.sandwell.gov.uk/wallofshame, as part of a major effort to apprehend and prosecute the fly-tippers.
Sandwell Council will also share the latest enforcement activity that is being undertaken, including the number of fixed penalty notices issued and images of the waste that was fly-tipped in a bid to encourage perpetrators to dispose of their waste properly.
The wall of shame will include details of incidents where householders have been fined for failing to use licensed waste carriers to dispose of their rubbish. By law, residents are responsible for making sure anyone collecting waste is a licensed waste carrier.
Offences among the first to appear on the wall of shame include multiple incidents of dumped rubbish on Forge Lane near Sandwell Valley
Leader of Sandwell Council Councillor Rajbir Singh said: “Fly-tipping is not just anti-social, it’s a crime and it’s unacceptable. It can be dangerous, it causes pollution and costs the taxpayers of Sandwell significant amounts of money to clean up.
“We also hope that by sharing details of fly-tipping offences on our wall of shame, we’ll receive information that will help us catch the culprits.”
Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for environment Councillor Ahmad Bostan said: “We’re asking people to think before they get someone else to incorrectly dispose of their waste or fly-tip.
“Not only could you be fined or prosecuted, but images of your illegally dumped waste are going to be shown for all of the world to see on our website and our social media pages.
“So, if you’ve dumped your sofa in the street or you chuck rubbish out the back of a van, we’ll be shaming you online and appealing for information to catch you,” Cllr Bostan added.
“There’s no excuse to illegally dump rubbish. The tip in Oldbury is open seven days a week and it’s easy to book an appointment. There’s no limit to the number of visits people in cars can make, and for those who can’t get to the tip, we remove bulky waste items at very reasonable prices. Anyone who is over the age of 65 also gets one free bulky waste collection a year.
The wall of shame will be updated several times a month at www.sandwell.gov.uk/wallofshame Anyone with information about any of the incidents featured can email Enviro_Enforcement@sandwell.gov.uk All information passed on will be treated in confidence.
Anyone who needs to dispose of rubbish is urged to book a bulky waste collection (from around £20) at www.sandwell.gov.uk/bulkywaste or a free visit to the tip at www.sandwell.gov.uk/tip Bookings can also be made by phone on 0121 368 1177.
Fly-tipping in Sandwell can be reported here: www.sandwell.gov.uk/flytipping or by calling 0121 368 1177.
Written by Craig Winyard.