A day of action led by Nottinghamshire Police has been praised as officers cracked down on illegal commercial waste carriers in Mansfield. Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams is pleased with the operation, which gave Mansfield District Council an opportunity to check the licences of scrap collectors operating in the district.
Throughout October a variety of trade vehicles were stopped by officers and then checked over at the council's Hermitage Lane depot. This operation was part of a multi-agency blitz called Operation Tramlines, a national campaign which targets commercial vehicles.
After reports that some scrap metal collectors were operating without the necessary scrap metal dealer licence in the district, council licensing officers focussed on checking credentials. Meanwhile, the police checked the weight and roadworthiness of vehicles, with one vehicle being impounded by the police for being overweight.
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No licensing offences were identified on the day, with six scrap metal collectors being checked, but advice was given to them about the licences required to collect scrap in the district. Inspector Kylie Davies, district commander for Mansfield, said: “Whilst the vast majority of people involved in these activities are operating within the law, we do know that there are some unscrupulous individuals around who are fleecing customers and committing serious environmental offences.
"These checks are designed not only to catch-out rogue operators, but also to protect the public and give them greater confidence.” During the operation, the Department of Work and Pensions also checked that people were not carrying out paid work whilst also claiming benefits.
Additionally, the council advises residents needing to dispose of waste should always check that their collector has a waste carrier's licence. This helps to deter fly tipping whilst also safeguarding them against the possibility of prosecution if their waste is subsequently found to be fly tipped.
Mr Abrahams said: "I have had reports of scrap metal collectors operating unlawfully in Mansfield so I am pleased this day of action was held and that it yielded some results. I wanted these checks to be carried out to ensure that scrap metal dealers operating with licences did not lose out with customers giving their scrap metal to illegal operators.
"The day of action demonstrated partnership working at its best. All the agencies involved felt it was very useful and effective so more days are planned in the near future. Even though no evidence was revealed to show Mansfield district vehicles were operating without scrap dealer licences, the intelligence we gather from them is shared afterwards to help our Licensing team maintain compliance.
"It was also interesting to note that three applications for licences were received in the days following this action." Customers can check if a carrier is licenced on the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs website by using a vehicle registration number and business name.
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