More than 160 tyres were found dumped in an alleyway in north Liverpool last weekend amid fears of a major fire risk. Across three separate dumpings last weekend, a huge pile of used tyres were found at The Coppice in Anfield.
Having initially attended to clear what was thought to be 40 items, Liverpool Council officers were actually left to remove four times that amount. Concerns emerged regarding the risk of a blaze given the large discarded amount of rubber.
Councillor condemns 'arrogance' of dumping
Cllr Steve Radford liaised with the local authority to have the items cleared. He condemned the “arrogance” of those seen dumping the tyres from a van in the middle of the day.
The Liberal Party group leader called for the strongest possible sanction for those found responsible for the waste. He said: “Residents contacted me on Saturday after they were deposited at 2pm.
“The council cleared them up within 24 hours to their credit. If any of these had been set alight it could have caused toxic fumes that could have killed people.
“They must have known what they were doing. The volume of the tyres, you can’t underestimate why it was given such a priority to be cleared up.
“It could have killed people living around there. It just shows the arrogance to do it in broad daylight.
“It’s not just fly-tipping and those people responsible should be put in jail.”
Council investigation and penalties
The tyres have now since been destroyed having been picked up by Liverpool Council Streetscene officers. It is understood the local authority will seek to prosecute those found responsible for the detritus left in the alleyway.
Last year, the city council increased its penalties against waste dumpers, including a £1,000 fine for those dumping a load equivalent to a light commercial van or “clear evidence of waste being commercial, or business waste transported by an unlicensed waste carrier”.
Fly-tipping of up to three bags of waste results in a £500 fine, while more than three bags, but less than a van load, will attract a penalty of £750.
Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins, Liverpool Council cabinet member for communities, neighbourhoods and Streetscene, said: “This weekend we were alerted to an instance of fly-tipping in Anfield. Upon inspection, our teams found 161 vehicle tyres discarded at the side of the road.
“All fly-tipping is entirely unacceptable, but large amounts of rubber can pose a serious fire risk and could have put nearby residents in danger. All the tyres were cleared as a matter of urgency and will be safely disposed of.
“Our environmental enforcement team will be undertaking a full investigation using all available evidence and will take appropriate action against the offender.”
