A Wirral councillor has condemned the "arrogant, selfish scumbags" who dumped a pile of waste at a local beauty spot. A mound of waste wood with protruding nails was left on the Wallasey Embankment over the bank holiday weekend, an area popular with dog walkers and runners.
Cllr Ian Lewis attended the scene after residents texted to report the crime and met with a member of staff from the council's CCTV Team. He said the waste posed a danger to anyone using the embankment, with the nails capable of causing injury to people and pets.
Councillor's condemnation
Cllr Lewis said: "This waste is a danger for anyone using the embankment. The nails in the wood can cause injury to people and pets and shows how the driver of the van, and any accomplices, couldn't give a damn. These arrogant, selfish people are a menace to our community."
He added: "Residents, community groups, and local small businesses work hard to make our coast an attractive and welcoming place to visit. At the same time, the vast majority of builders, waste disposal companies and those who generate this kind of waste dispose of it responsibly and they too will have strong views on the actions of this selfish minority."
Evidence and previous incidents
Cllr Lewis noted that evidence collected at the scene suggested those responsible may have dropped a receipt from a transaction the previous night, "helpfully, from premises that have CCTV." He said: "I will be asking the council to do everything possible to identify these scumbags and prosecute them."
The bank holiday incident follows a recent large-scale fly-tipping case on Red Hill Road, Storeton, where waste including kitchen and bathroom furniture was scattered across the road.
Government proposals
The Government last month announced changes that could see fly-tippers forced to pay the costs of clearing up their mess. The proposals would give councils stronger powers to issue conditional cautions requiring offenders to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid clean-up work.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, who is also the MP for Wallasey, said upon announcing the proposals: "If you fly-tip it, you should be the one cleaning it up and paying for it. It's that simple. Fly-tippers show a blatant disregard for our communities, leaving residents to live with the mess they create. I want to give councils new powers to make offenders take responsibility for their actions, by helping to clear up the communities they have harmed and covering the cost of putting things right."
Fly-tipping on council land can be reported to Wirral Council via its website.
