End of the road for fly tippers as council continues crackdown

The mercedes sprinter was seized this week in Harehills, following a proactive investigation, after a member of the public recorded the occupants of the van, dumping metal waste at the side of a country lane in East Ardsley.

Despite the vehicle not being located at its registered address when inquiries were made, council officers were able to seize the vehicle after acting on local intelligence that placed the vehicle within the Milan Road area of Leeds.

Of the eleven vehicles seized this year, eight have now been or are due to be crushed, limiting criminals’ ability to commit further environmental crimes in Leeds.

Councils have the power to confiscate vehicles suspected of being involved in environmental crime and are able to keep vehicles off the road for the duration of any criminal investigation.

If vehicles are not claimed or are deemed to be forfeit during court proceedings, they can be sold or crushed for scrap, with the proceeds used to support initiatives to tackle further environmental crimes.

Leeds City Council set up the serious environmental crime team last year to provide dedicated capacity to tackle serious environmental crime. The new team has proved successful securing convictions and jail time for serial fly tippers. 

The seizure notice for the Mercedes Sprinter van (Registration BL03 MOW) can be seen here.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said

“This council will always take swift action to limit the ability of criminals to fly tip in our city and I hope this latest seizure is a warning to anyone thinking about fly tipping.

“We know our residents feel strongly about fly tipping, and as a council we are committed to using all legal powers at our disposal, to ensure that environmental crime does not pay.”

Leeds City Council’s advice to residents is please don’t give your waste - including any scrap metal, to anyone without checking their credentials including;

• Their waste carriers license Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers (data.gov.uk)
• Asking where and how they will dispose of your waste,
• Obtaining their full details including their name and registration number.

If your waste is found illegally dumped, you can be fined or prosecuted.