SOMERSET West and Taunton Council says there is simply ’no excuse’ for fly-tipping in Wellington when there are facilities in the area to take most waste free of charge, writes Barry Knott.

It follows two cases of fly-tipping at Wellington Cemetery this year with the council responding quickly to remove the waste.

And this week Cllr Andy Sully, Executive Member for Environmental Services at SWT, said: “Fly-tipping is an environmental crime and it is clearly wrong that people are dumping waste and expecting others to pay the price.

“There is simply no excuse when all households in our district have recycling and refuse collections, and local recycling centres are open and still take many types of waste free of charge.

“The council takes all instances of fly tipping seriously and will investigate each occurrence that is reported to us, as we are doing at Wellington Cemetery. Where a case can be made we will always seek a prosecution which is why one of the most important weapons in the fight against fly tipping is information and evidence received from the public.

“If you witness somebody fly tipping you should never confront them but do take down as much detail as possible including the date, time and location, any vehicle details and the registration number and a brief description of the offenders and what they were doing. All this information can help with a prosecution. 

“If you discover waste after it has been left don’t touch it - it could be dangerous, containing syringes or other hazardous substances - and don’t disturb the site as there may be evidence that could help to identify offenders and lead to their prosecution.

“You can report fly tipping using our online form, or by calling Customer Services on 0300 304 8000. 

“The Council will respond to any fly tipping reports during the day and there is an out of hours service should there be a need for emergency removal at night.”

More information on fighting fly-tipping can be found on the council’s website.