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Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
October 16, 2018

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"Police seldom make arrests"

Fly-tipping occurring on industrial scale as BSIA offers tips for protecting land

Fly-tipping is costing landowners and landlords thousands of pounds in clean-up costs and insurance claims, according to the British Security Industry Association (BSIA).

A recent surge in fly-tipping has been blamed on the rise of rogue disposal services that undercut legitimate operators by sidestepping the £88.95 per tonne landfill tax.

The BSIA has warned that criminal gangs are collecting and dumping waste on an industrial scale. In some cases dummy companies advertising cheap skip rentals have taken out short-term leases on warehouses, filled them floor to ceiling with waste, and promptly vacated the premises – leaving the landlord with an expensive mess too clean up.

Costs are sometimes borne by landlords where they’re not covered by insurance. The BSIA has warned that companies neglecting to protect their assets or that have already been victims of fly-tipping could see their insurance premiums rise.

Taxpayers often bear the costs too. According to the Local Government Association, the cost to taxpayers of clearing up fly-tipping has risen 13% to £57m in the past year.

“The police and other agencies seldom make arrests, prosecute individuals or confiscate vehicles.” Tony Cockcroft, chair, Security Guarding Section, BSIA

“This activity is on an enormous scale involving the tipping of hundreds of tonnes of waste,” said Tony Cockcroft, chair of the security guarding Section at the BSIA. “The waste is collected from building sites, garden and  house clearances and this criminal activity is netting large amounts of money for those involved in the process.

“In most cases of land tipping the perpetrators are evicted from the site only to move onto another close by and repeat the same activity again and again. The police and other agencies seldom make arrests, prosecute individuals or confiscate vehicles largely due to already overstretched resources focused on serious crime and terrorist threats.”

Gideon Reichental, chair of the association’s vacant property protection section, said: “Fly-tipping is not just an unnecessarily expensive eyesore; it can also be dangerous. Tipped rubbish has been known to include specialist and clinical waste which can be hazardous, and mixed waste can spontaneously combust resulting in substantial fires which harm the environment through airborne pollution and contaminated fire-water run-off, which is why it has never been more important to tackle the problem head on.”

Reichental said his section was “working closely with the association’s lobbying team to see what additional government support or legislation can be provided to help address this issue.”

The BSIA offers the following recommendations if you want to deter and prevent fly-tipping:

  • Install strong metal gates with toughened steel padlocks and anti-lift hinges
  • If the site is vacant, block all vulnerable access points with concrete barriers. Secure the perimeter with strong fencing, posts, earth mounds or trenches and frequently check the site and the perimeter
  • Landlords of industrial units should institute robust procedures for screening prospective commercial tenants to verify that they are fit and proper
  • Phone the police on 101 if you think land is being occupied. However, the BSIA points out their restricted powers to deal with trespassers under civil law. A direction to leave may be issued and arrests may follow non-compliance. However, these powers are discretionary and a last resort so landowners should go through normal channels of civil recovery as quickly as possible to mitigate potential damage

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