Monday, May 04, 2009 - 07:52 PM

Fly tipping – It’s probably a problem we all recognise even if we are unsure of how it got its name. The Tipping bit is fairly easy and probably comes from the tilting up of a truck or container so as to discharge its contents. The Fly is perhaps a little more obscure but seems to have been slang for wide or clever. We use it to describe something, which is crafty or dishonest. Fly tipping is therefore the illegal dumping of rubbish. More often than not at the roadside, in fields, woodlands and gateways, piles of unsightly rubbish are becoming commonplace. It’s amazing what you come across; yes it was me you may have seen trying to strike up a tune on half a piano dumped in The Hurst.

This is a problem, which I doubt will go away and may well become worse. We all know that landslides take place even though it’s rare to see them, much the same could be said about fly tipping, we know it’s taking place but how often do you come across it in progress. It is therefore a difficult issue to police.

That said we can all play a part in reporting dumped rubbish on public or council land or on the highway to the borough Council. The prompt removal of rubbish is key to stopping an area becoming an unauthorised tip. It is also important to consider when you pay someone to clear out your garage or workshop where that rubbish will end up, be careful who you use or it could end up on the roadside. If you do see it going on please try to get the registrations of the vehicles involved and pass the information on to the Council or the police.

In the long-term perhaps we need to look at the rules and regulations governing local authority tips, perhaps if it was easier and cheaper to dispose of rubbish legally there would be less of a problem with illegal dumping, but that’s just a thought.

Antony Wiles PC8024 – Borough Green