Major fly tipping incident being investigated near Lupton (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Major fly tipping incident being investigated near Lupton
4:55pm Thursday 16th February 2012 in News
Major fly tipping incident being investigated near Lupton
AN investigation has been launched into a major fly tipping incident in South Lakeland.
Around 60 used tyres were dumped alongside a remote country lane off the A65 near Cow Brow, Lupton.
South Lakeland District Council and the Environment Agency (EA) are working together in a bid to identify the offenders.
Staff from the EA and SLDC enforcement officers believe that due to the quantity of tyres involved, a local garage or tyre fitting premises may be responsible.
The tyres have been removed by the council but will not be disposed of until all investigations as to where they have come from have been carried out.
Coun Clare Feeney-Johnson, SLDC’s portfolio holder for the Environment, said: “This type of fly tipping is totally unacceptable, not only for the environment but also the cost it brings upon the district and council tax payers. I hope the culprits are found as soon as possible and prosecuted.”
Graham Miller from the Environment Agency, said: “Waste crime is a serious offence that poses a risk to human health and can damage the environment. The Environment Agency relies on members of the public and legitimate businesses to help us identify the culprits.”
The council is calling on members of the public to contact the SLDC Contact Centre on 0845 050 4434, if they have any information In 2010/11 the council received 661 reported cases of fly tipping compared to 742 in 2009/10.
SLDC aims to investigate all reports of fly tipping within two working days and is asking members of the public to report any incident with as much detail as possible to help the council bring the culprits to justice.
Fly tipping can also be reported by calling the Environment Agency on 0800 807060.
It is possible that fly tipped waste may include hazardous or dangerous materials so the council advise people not to touch fly tipped waste, or open any bags or containers.
