Police and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer has brought Cheshire Constabulary, the Environment Agency, the National Farmers Union and Cheshire’s four Local Authorities together to discuss a joint approach to taking down the county’s fly tippers and how the public can play their part too.

It’s not difficult to find someone on social media conveniently offering to collect large amounts of waste or scrap, but did you know you could be inadvertently supporting criminal activity? And if illegally dumped waste can be traced back to you, then you could be fined up to £5,000.

So, if you see someone offering to collect waste in your area, or are looking to approach someone, ask them the following simple questions that any legitimate company should be able to easily answer:

·       What is your official company name?

·       What is your waste permit number?

·       Will you be able to provide a waste transfer note?

Police and Crime Commissioner, John Dwyer, said: 

“I talk about talking waste crime in my Police and Crime Plan, and it’s really important that we bring all relevant bodies around the table to discuss a shared approach. Whether you’re in an urban or rural area, illegally dumped waste is a blight on communities. We all share the same goal, so it makes sense that we work together and share data to enable us to tackle it.

“But we also know that prevention is better than the cure, and there are easy steps that people can take to stop their waste getting into the hands of fly tippers. Be vigilant and ask those three simple questions. That way you can protect our local environment from waste crime and save yourself from a potential £5,000 fine.”

Data on waste crime is often collected by Local Authorities - who are responsible for clearing incidents of fly tipping - but it is not necessarily shared with the other three Local Authorities, the police or other agencies. By working together and sharing data, it will enable the police to build intelligence and target waste crime hotspots across the county.

Sergeant Rob Simpson, from Cheshire Constabulary’s Rural Crime Team said:

“Waste crime is often orchestrated by organised crime groups and it affects us all, whether it’s dumped in the fields our food is grown in or the pavements or alleys outside our homes.

“That’s why it’s really important for all agencies to work together and for us to work with the public too. By taking a few simple precautionary steps you can help stop waste crime, save yourself a fine, and prevent even more serious crime that could be lurking behind the scenes.”