Time to get tougher
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• The London Waste Regulation Authority is calling on magistrates to get tougher with fly tippers.
It accuses magistrates in the London area of not appreciating the seriousness of fly-tipping. The LWRA's Tim Graves says: "The Government claims it costs 25 million a year to clean up the mess left by fly-tippers — we believe it could be more.
"The problems has escalated recently because of the amount of new development in London — and the consequent increasing number of cowboy oper
ators looking for a dark alleyway to dump their waste loads."
Most police also believe that magistrates are far too lenient with fly-tippers, says Labour transport spokeswoman Joan Ruddock.
"Enforcement officers feel fines are derisory," she says. "You can fine an operator for fly-tipping up to 22,000 on every count, but magistrates often fine them just 2150. The authorities feel magistrates treat fly-tipping as a trivial matter, instead of an enormous problem and hazard."