An investigation has been launched after a Newcastle City Council van was spotted at the scene of an alleged fly-tipping incident in a neighbouring authority. Pictures shared with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) show a Newcastle City Council van parked next to what appears to be a pile of dumped rubbish in Ashington, Northumberland.
The alleged incident occurred around 4.30pm on Wednesday, June 10, next to the woods at Wansbeck Riverside Park. Images show the silver Vauxhall van, emblazoned with the Newcastle City Council logo, with its rear doors open and a heap of waste materials directly behind it.
A local resident spotted the council van and the fly-tipped rubbish on the corner of Boiler Road and Castle Island Way, at the entrance to the former North Seaton Colliery site, a matter of yards from the North Seaton Household Waste Recovery Centre. They told the LDRS that they were “appalled” that anyone would dump their rubbish at the nature site, which is popular with dog walkers and horse riders, especially as the tip is so close by.
The man, who asked not to be named, added: “For someone to be doing it so blatantly from a council van while people were standing around watching was appalling. The tip is only 100 yards up the road. It is a hard thing to do these days because of all the fly-tipping, but we try to keep the area as clean as possible.”
A Northumberland County Council spokesperson confirmed: "We are investigating a report of fly tipping which allegedly took place on Wednesday, June 10th at the entrance to North Seaton Colliery in Ashington. Enquiries are ongoing."
The LDRS understands that Newcastle City Council is supporting the neighbouring county in its investigation. It is also thought that the suspect involved in the incident is not a direct employee of Newcastle City Council.
The city council says that it takes a “zero tolerance” approach to fly-tipping and has carried out among the highest number of prosecutions for waste crimes. In the 11 years up to March 2025, the authority carried out 1,869 prosecutions and issued 2,418 fixed penalty notices for waste crimes – resulting in 1,279 weeks’ worth of prison sentences and more than £800,000 worth of fines.
Newcastle City Council’s website states: “Newcastle City Council is committed to tackling all forms of waste crime. We use a range of powers to deal with fly-tipping, including prosecution, fixed penalty notices, enforcement notices, the seizing of vehicles, CCTV cameras and various investigatory techniques. Fly-tipping is often associated with dumping waste from vehicles. The person who owns or is in a position to control the use of the vehicle can be prosecuted, which means that it is possible for a prosecution to occur when only the vehicle, not the driver, is identifiable.”
