New TV series showcases fly tipping enforcement in Bucks
The exhaustive work carried out byCounty Council enforcement officers in the war againstfly tippers inBuckinghamshirefeatures inabrand new Channel5 documentary series startingthis week.
The six-part programme, ‘Grime andPunishment’follows the hidden armyofCouncil enforcement teams and inspectors up and down the country who work tirelessly tonail those who think nothing of blotting the country’stowns and countryside with their mess and rubbish.
As one of a number of local authorities featured, Buckinghamshirewas selected because of its zero-tolerance approach to fly tipping andcontinuing success in bringing perpetrators to justice.
Film crews followed the work of two enforcement officers, David Rounding and Matt Shutteras they hunted for clues and interviewed witnesses to help bring fly tippers to justice. On average, one fly tipper is successfully prosecuted in Buckinghamshire every week, one of the highest rates in the country.
Buckinghamshire County Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Environment, Bill Chapple OBE, praised the programme for spotlighting the tireless work by council officials to combat those intenton destroying the country’s environment.
“As far asBuckinghamshire is concerned, our message is clear: fly tippers are not welcomeand we will use the full force of the law to prosecute whenever possible.Through the hard work ofpeople like David and Matt, weare now seeinga reduction in fly tippingacross the county for the first time in six years, which is great news.
“We also do a lot of awareness raising and education particularly around people’s legal responsibility to dispose of their waste correctly.The last thing we want to do is knock on someone’s door having found their waste dumped by an unscrupulous trader they might have used in good faith.
“Programmes like Grime and Punishmenthelp get those important messages across and we were delighted to have taken part,” he added.
Commentating on their appearance, David and Matt said: “Its all in a day’s work for us. Whether we’re visiting fly tips, giving advice to local residents or preparing casesfor court, our single aim is to rid Buckinghamshire of fly tipping for good. Everything wedo that helps towards achieving this means a better, cleanerenvironmentfor our residents.”
The first episode of Crime and Punishment starts at 8pmthis Thursday, (June 13) on Channel 5. David and Matt’s work in Buckinghamshirefeatures in episode five, scheduled to air at 8pm on Thursday, July 11. The series was filmed by multi-award winningLambent Productions Ltd, based in Brighton.
For further information about preventing fly tipping in Buckinghamshire, please visit
https://www.recycleforbuckinghamshire.co.uk/scrap-fly-tipping/
Illegal dumping can be reported at www.fixmystreet.buckscc.gov.uk