Prosecutions will be pursued by a Merseyside council following a massive fly tipping incident.
The ECHO reported earlier this month on a disgusting incident which involved piles of rubbish strewn across an alleyway near Gaskell Street, Parr.
St Helens Borough Council say an investigation is now well underway, with wardens reviewing evidence left among the rubbish, which they say will likely lead to the prosecution of the offenders.
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Pictures from the scene show bags of rubbish thrown across the path, as well as a toilet among the unsanitary waste which left residents fearing rats. The rubbish has now been cleared by the council.
A spokesperson for St Helens Council said: "Fly-tipping is an unsightly blight on the community that causes harm to the environment, residents and local businesses and is costly to clear away.
"Residents can rest assured that St Helens Borough Council will use every power to prevent fly-tipping and take any steps necessary to punish those responsible.
"Over the last two years, continuing throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the council issued a total of 81 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for fly-tipping offences, resulting in thousands of pounds in fines, court fees and victim surcharges, not to mention disclosable criminal convictions for those found guilty by the courts.
"Even if you’re not the one dumping waste, you could be breaking the law and be left with a hefty fine if you hand waste over to someone who isn’t licensed if they dump it where they shouldn’t.
"If you pay someone to dispose of your waste, make sure they’re operating legally. Householders have a ‘duty of care’ to check that someone they pay to remove waste from their property is a licensed waste carrier. "
Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Fly-tipping is a crime. It won’t be tolerated in our borough and our officers work exceptionally hard to combat it. But as residents we also have a responsibility to dispose of waste appropriately and legally. By only dealing with licensed and trustworthy carriers we ensure that we’re not contributing to the problem.”
Councillor Jeanie Bell, Cabinet Member for Safer, Stronger Communities, added: “When it comes to our fly-tipping prosecution work we tirelessly investigate every case, and the information that residents can provide is invaluable. It’s worth noting that with the cost of clean-up borne by the council, tax payers’ money must be used – meaning we all as residents have a duty to prevent this unnecessary expense, caused by a criminal minority.
“I’d urge anyone who finds tipped waste or who sees waste being dumped to contact the council as soon as possible, noting key details like vehicle registrations, a description of the tipper, and where and when it happened, so that we can hold those responsible to account.”
