Keeping an eye out for fly tipping in East Leeds

A local community fed up dealing with fly tipping and waste crime has launched a major campaign to target offenders.

Residents, councillors, city council staff and local agencies took to the streets of Harehills to launch the ‘Watching Eyes’ campaign on Saturday 1^st February.

The Gipton and Harehills and Burmantofts and Richmond Hill wards are the most affected parts of the city and actions will be focussed there over the coming weeks and months to tackle waste crime as part of a partnership effort with agencies and local residents’ groups.

Community leaders hope the new campaign – with a strong emphasis on ‘being watched’ – will deter offenders from committing waste crimes such as fly-tipping and that Leeds City Council will pursue perpetrators and take legal action against those found committing these crimes.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Active Lifestyles, said:

“Fly-tipping is a real blight on our communities, and leads to a significant cost to the taxpayer in clean-up costs. We do not tolerate any form of fly-tipping anywhere in Leeds and we will use every measure at our disposal against people committing these crimes.

“We hope that the campaign will encourage members of the public to provide evidence which can be used to issue fines or prosecute fly-tipping criminals through the courts.”

During the campaign launch day, community litter-pickers collected almost 10 tonnes of waste.

Anyone wishing to report fly tipping should call 0113 222 4444 or visit www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/environmental-health.

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Andrew Vaux, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 378 6007

email: andrew.vaux@leeds.gov.uk