Crime scenes set up across Walsall as cost of fly-tipping hits £600,000

Crime scene tape has been placed around illegally dumped waste across Walsall as the cost of fly-tipping in the borough tops £600,000 a year.

whg has joined forces with Walsall Council to remind residents that disposing of refuse in public areas is a crime.

As part of the campaign piles of rubbish and dumped waste are cordoned off like a crime scene under investigation, to warn others of the ‘environmental crime.’ It will then be investigated and removed.

Fly-tipping in Walsall cost in excess of £600,000 last year to clean up. whg paid out more than £300,000 to remove illegally discarded waste, while the figure for Walsall Council was £360,000.

In the latest incident, whg cordoned off an area of fly-tipping in Leyland Croft, Pelsall, where dumped furniture and other household items cost the landlord £1,500 to remove. In this instance, the offenders were identified and will be recharged for the cost of removing the waste.

Neighbourhood Manager Ranjit Kaur said: “Fly-tipping costs us money that could be better spent on providing services for customers. We hope this campaign will help us highlight the impact dumping rubbish has on neighbourhoods and make people think about where they discard their waste.

“No community should have to live with fly-tipping and we will do everything we can to stamp down on this crime, which is unsightly, can be unsafe, and attracts pests.”

Councillor Garry Perry, Deputy Leader Resilient Communities, Walsall Council, said, “This campaign serves as a warning to anyone who thinks it’s acceptable to dump rubbish on our streets and in our green spaces that we will find you and you will be punished for it. Fly-tipping is a crime and we need local people to play an active role in reporting it and coming forward with information so that those who think it’s OK to dump their rubbish wherever they want are caught and charged.”

Councillor Kerry Murphy, Portfolio Holder for Street Pride, Walsall Council, said, “This visual partnership campaign is reinforcing the message that we will keep fighting fly-tipping in the borough and I hope it will make people think twice before dumping their rubbish like this in future. People should take pride in their communities and respect the local area.”