CCTV cameras in homes plea to catch fly-tippers

A council is asking residents to have cameras installed in their homes to help catch fly-tippers in the act.

Bradford Council said its environmental enforcement team could provide cameras as it launched an investigation into persistent dumping down an alleyway behind terraced homes in Thornbury.

Residents have asked for help to clear up the mess, including sofas and rolled carpets, which has made the route impassable for bin collectors.

But the council said, as it was an unadopted street which was not publicly maintained, it had to prioritise "clearing waste from council-owned land" and support landowners to remove waste from other sites.

Jane Jones, 65, lives nearby and is a member of the Litter Free Pudsey group.

She said: "This area is unbelievable. It's been like this for over a year, going on for three years when it first started.

"The bin wagons can't come down because of all the rubbish. It's not just sofas, it's beds but also household rubbish.

"Obviously the council should sort this out. It needs clearing."

The retired road safety officer said she regularly carried out litter picking sessions in the area.

She said: "Apparently this ginnel, this lane, is an unadopted lane which dates back 50 years or so.

"Something has to be done to educate people that it's just not right."

Uzma Bashir lives close to the site with her family, including three young children.

She said: "We get rats, just to look at it is terrible. It's dangerous.

"My children can't go out, they can't play in the alleyway.

"You buy houses round her for the view, for the area, but then to have that to spoil it. It brings the whole area down."

The 38-year-old customer services worker said residents had tried to clean up the lane in the past but the fly-tippers returned.

In one incident last week, they were caught red-handed.

She said: "Dad noticed them parking their van and just throwing it out like it was a dumping ground.

"It was shocking that they felt they could do that. They were just normal builders.

"If we did do something, if we all got together and we cleared it up, are they (the council) going to be able to maintain this?

"I don't think they will because it has been done before."

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: "We will investigate this to see if there is any evidence to trace the people responsible for this waste.

"However, because this is an unadopted street, it makes the issue more complex.

"Due to our budgets we have to prioritise clearing waste from council-owned land and supporting landowners to get fly-tipping cleared from other sites."

The spokesperson said with unadopted streets it encouraged residents to clear the waste themselves and share any information they have on the perpetrators.

They added: "Our environmental enforcement team have cameras available that can be installed within properties to capture any fly-tipping incidents, but this would require resident involvement.

"If you are aware of any residents that can assist, please let us know.

"Once these avenues have been explored, we can look at options where we work with residents and neighbourhood wardens to clean the area, but this is unsustainable if the area continues to be tipped on."

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