Two arrested for dumping commercial waste at recycling centre

Two men were arrested earlier this month when council officers and police caught them dumping commercial waste at a council recycling centre.

Businesses are not allowed to use the free recycling centres to dispose of business waste as they should pay for a commercial waste disposal contract.

Council officers have long suspected that some businesses, particularly those offering waste clearance services, use the recycling centres to shed their loads.

As part of the anti-fly tipping Operation Stop It, vehicles entering the Reuse and Recycling Centre in Park View Road, N17, were searched.

One man disposing of a van full of waste was registered as a licensed waste carrier and found to be driving without a licence. He was immediately arrested and referred to the Fraud investigations Team on finding he had a live housing benefit claim.

A second man disposing of garden waste admitted he ran a gardening business. He was warned to arrange a commercial waste contract or face prosecution. He was then also found to be driving while disqualified and arrested.

Cllr Nilgun Canver, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: "Council reuse and recycling centres help households recycle and cut waste, they are not there to help businesses cut corners. I appeal to residents to only use licensed waste contractors to dispose of this kind of waste, as unlicensed contractors often end up dumping the goods illegally. Also, it's amazing how often those found breaching the regulations in one area, such as environmental crime, are linked to other kinds of criminal activity. That's why we undertake these kinds of operations in partnership with different agencies, such as HMRC and the police."