Plea to track fly-tippers after 22 fridges are dumped on bridleway

South Norfolk Council is asking people to record the vehicle registration numbers of anyone who comes to take away their fridge or other goods after having promised to dispose of them cheap.

The plea comes after council wardens discovered 22 fridges dumped off the back of a lorry across a bridleway and public footpath near Dunston, just outside Norwich.

David Osborne, Head of Environmental Services said:

"Every council in the county, and the country, has fly-tipping. We are not unique and like every other council we have measures in place to combat it. But we will only win if we have the public with us.

"My message is that if you have a fridge you want to get rid of - call us on 01508 533706, and we will have it taken away for £11. Please don't be tempted by offers to remove your fridge on the cheap because it is likely that the next time you see it will be across a country footpath or in some beautiful wood.

"Every day, tens of thousands of South Norfolk people think about what happens to their rubbish and they act responsibly.

"Getting rid of your fridge for a fiver isn't 'out of sight out of mind'. You wouldn't drive into the countryside and dump it in a field. But paying someone else to do it is virtually the same. Other people have to pick up the bill, it undermines the community and it spoils the countryside. It's a crime to fly-tip and it has to stop."

Kelly Lunness, the council's assistant direct services manager, is arranging for the fridges to be properly disposed of. He said:

"If for any reason you really feel you have no choice but to take up an offer, take the registration number of the vehicle that comes to collect the fridge. Then call your local council environmental health team, and pass it to them. That may help catch the fly-tippers, and lead to them being prosecuted in the courts.

"Dumping 22 fridges and blocking a public right of way is an unusual and very serious fly-tipping incident for South Norfolk. It has happened because someone has been offering to take old fridges from people for cash. They have pocketed the cash, backed their lorry onto this bridleway, and tipped them out.

"It's amazing that with environmental disasters happening all over the world, people can still turn a blind eye to the consequences of their actions."

For six months, the Environment Agency funded the placing of CCTV covering the bridleway. During that period, the fly-tipping stopped, and South Norfolk Council is considering installing CCTV at this and other sites in the future.

Mr Osborne said:

"CCTV does work, but it is just one weapon in the war on fly-tipping. In the end, fly-tipping will be defeated by all of us as a community of responsible individuals putting our children's future first, and safeguarding the environment for them."

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