New fly-tip fridge incident angers council

Just days after 22 fridges were dumped across a bridleway and close to main rail lines in South Norfolk, more have been fly-tipped in an incident which also took a sinister turn.

Four domestic fridges and two large commercial fridges were reported dumped, this time close to the main rail lines at Markshall Lane, Caistor St Edmund. Last week, 22 fridges were dumped on a bridleway at Dunston, near the same main Norwich to London rail line.

The Caister fly-tipping was reported to South Norfolk Council officers by a concerned passer-by when he spotted four youths trying to push one of the fridges onto the railway line.

He stopped, got out of his car and approached, but was forced back after one of the youths - wielding a large wooden plank as a weapon - threatened him.

South Norfolk Councillor, Dr John Peterson, who leads for the environment, expressed his shock and anger at the latest incident. He also thanked the passer-by and said that if it had not been for his public-spirited action, there might have been a tragedy

He said:

"On behalf of this council and all our residents, especially those in the Caistor St Edmund area, I want to thank this man for contacting us. We have passed his information on to the police, who are investigating and they are speaking to him.

"Make no mistake about it, this is an environmental crime. If we catch these criminals we will be pressing for the maximum fine.

"Were it not for our public-spirited passer-by, who did the right thing and called us, this could also have turned much, much more serious. The irresponsible and violent youths who threatened him were clearly intent on causing a rail accident, which might have led to tragedy."

Police were contacted by South Norfolk Council and attended the scene to ensure the track was clear.

David Osborne, the council's head of environmental services, said:

"If anyone in the district and in Norfolk as a whole is approached by an individual or a commercial concern to remove fridges or any other bulky item , they should take the vehicle registration number and pass it to their council.

"This is the second major incident of fly-tipping fridges in South Norfolk in less than a week. This time, it was not just the damage to our countryside caused by this environmental crime, it could have led to a rail accident and possibly a loss of lives.

"Our message is clear - if you have a fridge you want removed don't call anyone else - call your local council. They can arrange for it to be removed for you, or they can let you know which registered firms can dispose of it properly.

"And if you live in South Norfolk, it's simple - we will take your fridge away for £11. Just call us on 01508 533706."

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