Greenwich Council said it is ‘coming for’ fly-tippers after a perpetrator in Thamesmead was traced by council officers and hit with a £1,000 fine.
The incident involved bags of waste and a suitcase that had been dumped on a public footpath near communal bins in Booth Close, Thamesmead and were later discovered by a Peabody Neighbourhood Warden.
The warden examined the waste and reported it to the council’s Enviro Crime team, who took “swift action” to open an investigation.
Council officers were initially unable to trace the perpetrator, despite finding a damaged delivery label showing a partial name and address on a cardboard box.
However, after a more intensive investigation online using council records, they were able to identify a possible individual who could have been connected to the incident.
During an interview, the individual confirmed the identity of the fly-tipper, leading to officers issuing them a £1,000 fine, which has since been paid in full to Greenwich Council.
“Fly-tippers should know: if you dump waste in Greenwich, the council are coming for you,” Councillor Calum O’Byrne Mulligan, Cabinet Member for Transport, Climate Change, Waste & Streets, said.
“Fly-tipping blights our neighbourhoods, disrespects our residents, and we will not stand for it.
“Our investigators will use every tool at their disposal to ensure fly-tippers are caught, and this case is a clear example of how even a single piece of evidence can lead us back to those responsible.”
The Labour councillor added: “This case also showcases the power of organisations working together to keep the borough we all love clean and to get things done. Thank you to the diligent Peabody Neighbourhood Warden who reported the fly-tip to our council officers and provided the initial information to begin the investigation.”
