Anger as fly-tippers caught on CCTV but there's still nothing police can do

Audacious fly-tippers were caught in the act dumping waste on the premises of a firm that installs high quality CCTV.

Crystal clear video footage of the broad daylight offence on July 1 was caught by a camera at DCP Total Solutions in Dewsbury.

Despite this, directors of the company, which also installs IT and telephony equipment, were initially told neither the police nor Kirklees Council could do anything as the fly-tipping happened on private land.

The video shows men in a van pulling up down the side of the warehouse off Mill Street East then throwing mattresses, foam and bedding parts onto the ground.

The whole incident was caught on camera, including the registration of the vehicle and the identities of those involved.

While the police won’t act, Kirklees Council has now said it will investigate.

David Lowles, a director at the firm, said all the waste appeared to be linked to a bed manufacturing company.

And he said the individuals who dumped it seemed to have targeted what they thought was a blind spot in the industrial estate’s security systems.

“It seemed like they knew where they were going,” he said.

“We’ve got cameras on view around the building but the one that’s filmed the incident is hidden.

“They must have known the area as they’ve gone straight there and thought that they weren’t on CCTV.”

He added: “We were flabbergasted when we saw it. The amount of stuff they’ve dumped is unbelievable.

“The high-top van was packed to the rafters.

“The first thing we did was review the CCTV and we thought ‘hallelujah’, we’ve got the van and the registration plate on camera so it’ll be an easy job for the police to collar them.

“But it didn’t turn out that way and when the police turned up a week later we found out it’s not a police matter.

“We contacted the council and they said they couldn’t do anything so we thought we were in a stalemate.

“The council has now come, perhaps as the video has been on Facebook, and they’ve said they’ll look into it.

“But they still can’t clear up the mess – that’s something we’re going to have to pay for.”

The video caused outrage when it was uploaded on to popular Facebook group, ‘Dewsbury Pictures Old and New’.

It has been viewed and shared hundreds of times in a bid to help identify the suspects.

If Kirklees Council finds the culprits it can prosecute them in court and they could be fined.

Mr Lowles may be able to recoup his clear up costs from the council at that point.

Joanne Bartholomew, Kirklees Council’s Service Director for Commercial, Regulatory and Operational Services said: “The council are aware of this incident and are investigating.

“Anyone who witnesses flytipping is encouraged to report it via www.kirklees.gov.uk/flytipping so that the council can take appropriate action.”

A recent Freedom of Information request by the Examiner to Kirklees Council has revealed fly-tipping is not just an issue in lay-bys and on public land.

There were a stunning 270 incidents of fly-tipping on private land in 2017/18, including on retail sites owned by Halfords in Huddersfield, M&S at Waterloo and a number of small businesses around the borough.