0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to the fight to clean up our streets and put the Great back into Great Britain.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Our job is to find out who put this here and to prosecute them.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Every 30 seconds, rubbish is illegally dumped across the UK.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20It's filthy, it's hazardous and it's wrecking our cities and countryside.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22They think they've got away with it, but they've not.
0:00:22 > 0:00:28From the tonnes of cigarette butts and dogs' mess that hits our streets daily to the mountains of tyres and
0:00:28 > 0:00:35illegally dumped waste, no-one and nowhere is safe from the horrific things dumped on our doorsteps.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40We're with the officers determined to catch the crooks in the most shocking cases ever seen.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence...
0:00:43 > 0:00:47And we follow the battle to clean up the devastating mess left behind.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52A fly-tip of this size would cost thousands to clear it.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Join us in the fight against Britain's Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.
0:01:14 > 0:01:21Today on Filthy Rotten Scoundrels, one man's shocking 15-year fly-tipping spree...
0:01:21 > 0:01:27He was turning south Bristol into an environmentally littered, fly-tipped swamp.
0:01:27 > 0:01:33..and one of the most bizarre and filthy cases of environmental crime.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37A dog walker is throwing poo all over the Leicestershire countryside.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40I make it 28 bags in one tree.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Look at that. That is disgusting.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I mean, really disgusting.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48The hunt is on to confront the person responsible.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54I've got him going down that far footpath with the bags and coming out with no bags.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59But first, Hillingdon, north-west London,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and an undercover sting operation is being planned.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Fly-posters are a massive problem across the borough,
0:02:05 > 0:02:10and they're continually slapped up on lampposts, traffic lights and derelict shop fronts.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Local residents have had enough and want it dealt with once and for all.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Cue the council's environmental crime team.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23This is a serious matter. We take down 170 per week in Hillingdon alone.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Multiply that by 32 other London boroughs, multiply that by who knows how many
0:02:27 > 0:02:31metropolitan authorities, you're talking about thousands and thousands
0:02:31 > 0:02:33of these per day around the country.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Today, they're dealing with a deluge of fly-posters like this.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Up to 500 have been put up all over the borough.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47Each poster can carry a fine of £100, and they're after one man who,
0:02:47 > 0:02:52if he put them all up, could be facing a whopping £50,000 fine.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Former policeman John Davies is the environmental officer
0:02:55 > 0:02:57heading up the operation, with the help of the police.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01But little do they know the drama that's about to unfold.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06These postings have been all over Hillingdon.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11There's just another one here. It's exactly the same poster. And we find them everywhere, major junctions,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15and they're just a blight on the environment.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20Obviously, the objectives of the exercise are to identify who's putting these up,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23the organisation that are doing it, whether it's a one-man band
0:03:23 > 0:03:25or working from a yard or whoever he is, really.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27We'll only know when we stop him.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30We have done checks on the telephone numbers,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32and they're all pay as you go, not registered.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34You've phoned them up? And what did they say?
0:03:34 > 0:03:37As soon as you identify yourself, they just put the phone down.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40So they are aware that it's illegal to do it.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43And the overall objective is to stop this from happening again,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47because we're trying to stamp out environmental crime in Hillingdon.
0:03:47 > 0:03:54The fly-posters advertise all sorts, from music to people offering to get rid of your rubbish.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56While some adverts are for legitimate businesses,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59others will just collect your waste and fly-tip it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:09That means they're stealing work from genuine businesses like Dean's local waste-collection service.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I think a lot of people aren't aware that you have to have a licence and
0:04:14 > 0:04:18at all times I should be able to produce my certificate to any potential customer.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24People's attitudes are literally they want to get rid of the rubbish the cheapest way possible,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and at the back of their mind they may think that this person
0:04:27 > 0:04:34looks a bit dodgy but, "Why am I paying this company £200 when I can get rid of it for £100?"
0:04:34 > 0:04:38When they're phoning up for quotations from companies,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41they should say, "Can we see your licence?"
0:04:41 > 0:04:45If they can't produce a licence, then you've got to have second thoughts
0:04:45 > 0:04:47about whether you should be giving them the work.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51And the shocking truth is that if you employ an unscrupulous trader
0:04:51 > 0:04:56who fly-tips your waste, you are still accountable for its disposal.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59So it's YOU that could end up carrying the can.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05But it's not only waste disposal these fly-posters are advertising.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09The man that John and his crew are after is offering to buy
0:05:09 > 0:05:13and take away un-roadworthy vehicles to sell on at a profit at a breaker's yard.
0:05:13 > 0:05:20The going rate is around £50 a vehicle, and they'll end up pocketing three or four times that.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Whilst this isn't illegal, scrap dealers
0:05:23 > 0:05:27do need to declare their earnings for tax and carry the right paperwork.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32But the crime team reckons the fly-posting metal-scrap dealer
0:05:32 > 0:05:39might be dodgy, so it's essential they meet him face to face and check his licences.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42But before they can challenge him in person, they need to catch him first.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46So they've set up an elaborate and ambitious sting operation.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50They've called him and arranged for him to pick up a car they've planted,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52and then they'll make their move.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58What will happen is that vehicle was in a scrap yard yesterday.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00It's now been placed
0:06:00 > 0:06:04in the location and it's been sat on by a colleague
0:06:04 > 0:06:08of mine, and it's now waiting for me to take over from him.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11My colleague then will join Alan and the police.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14This chap is going to give me some cash for the car, and then they'll stop him.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18It's time for the honey trap.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26But even with five years in police intelligence under his belt, John knows he can't control everything.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31The only thing that can go wrong now is if he fails to appear,
0:06:31 > 0:06:36which is the only thing now which is out of our hands.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43Still to come, find out later what happens when the target turns up.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Game on, boys.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50And as the moment of truth draws closer, the plot thickens.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51OK, he's moving.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53But will they be able to stop the man
0:06:53 > 0:06:55who's come to pick up the decoy car?
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Next, some of the most serious fly-tipping crimes ever witnessed in the UK.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Bristol is renowned for being one of the most beautiful cities
0:07:14 > 0:07:18in the West and of course its famous Clifton Suspension Bridge,
0:07:18 > 0:07:23but for 15 years, one man was turning these historic streets
0:07:23 > 0:07:24into a sea of rubbish.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31Paul Bryant was single-handedly responsible for a third of the city's fly-tipping.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35He'd been dumping thousands of tonnes of rubbish.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39He was a thorn in the side of Bristol's enviro crime team
0:07:39 > 0:07:43and was at the centre of a four-year covert operation.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Carole Donovan led the investigation.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52You have the small handful of the builder types,
0:07:52 > 0:07:56the contractor type - they're just going to take their chance.
0:07:56 > 0:08:02Bryant was very unusual in that he did it day in, day out for years.
0:08:02 > 0:08:08As a former police officer, it was easy for Carole to work out Bryant's tactics.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11He would scour residents' homes, see if they
0:08:11 > 0:08:16had waste in the garden, and he would bang on the door and say, "I'll take that away for you, love.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20"Fifty quid." That's how he operated. It was very much opportunist.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26And he had a particular favourite spot - under the M32 flyover.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Bryant chose this location because he worked it out.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31He worked it out there's fast-moving traffic.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35This isn't an area easy
0:08:35 > 0:08:37for the public on foot to access.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42So he knew nobody's going to be here to stop him or question him as to what he's doing.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Carole was going to have to work hard to nail this scoundrel.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50She knows just how big a problem fly-tipping is right across the UK.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59Thousands of tonnes of waste are scattered in our streets and countryside every day,
0:08:59 > 0:09:05and it's costing us - that's you and me - £55 million a year to clean it up.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10And it was one of the locals from Bristol who wasn't going to let
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Paul Bryant get away with his brazen criminal acts.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18John here is an eagle-eyed resident whose home overlooks the site, and he was at
0:09:18 > 0:09:23his wits' end with the disgusting view outside his bedroom window.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28From one end to the other end, that was completely filled,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and it was above the railings,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34and this went on for months and months and months and months.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37You get to a stage where you've had enough.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And who wants to look at a pile of rubbish?
0:09:40 > 0:09:44And just by luck, John spotted the brazen fly-tipper.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46It was about five o'clock.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48I ran up the stairs,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52pulled the curtains to one side, and I just started videoing it.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57And I filmed him walking across.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00And he came down the road
0:10:00 > 0:10:05and he went round, in through the gates, drove up, reversed round,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and as he tipped it, he was driving out.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11As you can see, it's a well-rehearsed operation.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16Bryant tips his load and, in his rush, leaves the back up while heading straight for the motorway.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24Driving up with your tipper up like that has got to be stupidly dangerous.
0:10:24 > 0:10:30This man clearly doesn't give a monkey's about his or anyone else's safety, let alone the environment.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37I didn't at that particular time think this would be useful,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41but I didn't realise the size of the case, I didn't know the extent
0:10:41 > 0:10:46that this gentleman was fly-tipping. It was quite big.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51Well, according to the Environment Agency, it was one of the biggest that they'd handled.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Carole's investigation was helped along nicely when they found his
0:10:56 > 0:11:00business cards advertising "A man with a van".
0:11:00 > 0:11:06I rang the mobile number on the card to ask him for an explanation of why he
0:11:06 > 0:11:10had tipped rubbish he had been paid for to clear legitimately.
0:11:10 > 0:11:16In no uncertain terms - there was certain swear words - he told me not to waste my time trying to catch him.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19But Bryant's days were numbered.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22When the police caught up with this filthy rotten scoundrel,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26his business card with phone number was what finally brought him down.
0:11:26 > 0:11:33When the police raided his house, they rang that number, and the telephone was ringing in his bedroom.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39Bryant was given a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence and was also slapped with
0:11:39 > 0:11:42a ten-year ASBO banning him from transporting any waste.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47But as well as the brazen fly-tipper getting his just desserts,
0:11:47 > 0:11:52it also means Bristolians can enjoy a cleaner city.
0:11:53 > 0:12:00I view it as a victory for Bristol, in that we've taken a serial fly-tipper
0:12:00 > 0:12:02and a serious fly-tipper off the streets of Bristol.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05He was turning south Bristol into
0:12:05 > 0:12:10an environmentally littered, fly-tipped swamp.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14So that is very important for Bristol, that he's gone and he's removed.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17So fly-tippers be warned - if you're caught, you could
0:12:17 > 0:12:23get fined up to £50,000 and even jailed for a maximum of five years.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Still to come on Filthy Rotten Scoundrels,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33the undercover sting operation in Hillingdon, north-west London,
0:12:33 > 0:12:34is about to kick off.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35There he goes.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40As officers close in on their target, what will happen when they try to confront him?
0:12:40 > 0:12:43SIREN
0:12:43 > 0:12:48But first, one of the most bizarre and filthy environmental crimes one enforcement officer has ever seen.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59Dogs - they might be man's best friend and arguably the nation's favourite pet,
0:12:59 > 0:13:05but our faithful companions produce something that is rated as the UK's most hated environmental crime.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10There's just too much dog mess in the streets.
0:13:10 > 0:13:16Some people have got no thought for anybody else.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19My dog stood in dog poo the other day, treaded it all in my house.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21So I've had to clean all my house and all his feet.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Then I had to go out and pick the dog poo up.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26It's just laziness. Disgusting, really.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31Well, I think you've got to look after your dog from top to tail,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34so the food that goes in you're responsible for,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39and you've got to be responsible for it coming out again. Simple.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44Clearly, we're not all shy about saying what we think of dog mess.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47The public lists dog fouling as the worst problem
0:13:47 > 0:13:49that they have, that they report to the council.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51They want it as the highest priority.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54What's more, there's an intriguing change in
0:13:54 > 0:13:57the kind of dog-fouling offences that are most common these days.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03What we are finding more now is that people are actually picking the dog poo up,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05bagging it and dumping the bags,
0:14:05 > 0:14:10and the problems now seems to be moving away more from dog fouling on the floor
0:14:10 > 0:14:15to bags of dog poo being stuffed in hedges, hanging on trees...
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Dog fouling obviously is a criminal offence,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23it's illegal and you can get fined for it, anything between £50 to £80.
0:14:23 > 0:14:30Failure to pay a fine obviously can lead to court, and you could get up to £2,500 in fines then.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36One man who's determined to catch lazy dog owners
0:14:36 > 0:14:38is environment officer Chris Carey.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41The former police officer is based in the beautiful
0:14:41 > 0:14:46district of Charnwood, deep in the Leicestershire countryside.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51And he's just picked up a dog-fouling case, but this one seems simply extraordinary.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56We've had a report of a man walking five dogs,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58and what he's doing is...
0:14:58 > 0:15:04every time the dogs are defecating, he's picking it up,
0:15:04 > 0:15:09putting it into bags, like he should do, and then allegedly throwing them
0:15:09 > 0:15:13into the field and trees, which is quite extraordinary, really.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17I've not heard of anything like that before.
0:15:17 > 0:15:23But before I make judgment, we'll go and have a look at it, and see exactly what's what.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27But I understand from what the gentleman has said that there are
0:15:27 > 0:15:33a number of bags high into trees, and also into the field.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36So it'll be interesting to see exactly what's gone on.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39But yeah, why throw it into trees?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42I've heard of money growing on trees,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44but not dog poo!
0:15:44 > 0:15:49Determined to find the culprit, Chris follows his nose...
0:15:50 > 0:15:56..and he's straight out to the popular footpath used by walkers and dog owners alike.
0:15:56 > 0:16:02Dog fouling is the biggest source of complaint that we get.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05There's supposed to be a lot of it.
0:16:05 > 0:16:11It's a disgusting thought that we've got to go and have a rummage through these bags and have a look at it.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25Chris has seen some bad sights in his time, but this one could be the worst one ever.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36It was described as some large trees, so I don't think it's going to be these.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38Oh, there we are.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Two bags of dog poo.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Why would you want to do that? Why?
0:16:47 > 0:16:50At first sight, it looks like just a couple of bags, but then...
0:16:50 > 0:16:52That's the third bag.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01And it's about to get much, much worse.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02There's lots...
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Oh, it's all over the place.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08It's everywhere.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And if people do walk here
0:17:12 > 0:17:16on a regular basis and they bring families, then you've
0:17:16 > 0:17:18got to watch where the kids stand.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21I've got to watch where I stand, let alone the kids!
0:17:21 > 0:17:25But then the full scale of this crime becomes very clear.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30If you can zoom in onto those trees in the distance, look at that.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33That is so disgusting, that is.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Well, just from here,
0:17:35 > 0:17:42one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine bags hanging from a really tall tree.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Initially, I thought it might be a crow, but they're not.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48That is disgusting. I mean really disgusting.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50You're not wrong there, Chris.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54He decides to take a closer look, and it doesn't make for pleasant viewing.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57I didn't get me piece of paper,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00but where do you start?
0:18:00 > 0:18:03One, two, three, four, five,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05six, seven, eight,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen,
0:18:08 > 0:18:14sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three...
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Well, I make it - and I might be wrong - twenty-eight bags.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21That is in one tree.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23And look how
0:18:23 > 0:18:27high that is, as well. Without actually chopping the tree down...
0:18:27 > 0:18:32There's a lot of bags on the floor. I mean, twenty-eight bags in the tree.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34It'll be interesting to see as we go along if there's any...
0:18:34 > 0:18:38There's another bag up there in another tree.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41That's amazing. One, two, three, four, five...
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Seven over there.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45There's a lot on the floor.
0:18:45 > 0:18:51I mean, I'm certainly going to treat this as fly-tipping just for the sheer amount of it.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Twenty-eight bags there.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54I've counted, and approximately twenty bags there.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58There's another eight bags in that tree. I mean, that is antisocial.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02It's just, well, perverse.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07What words do you use to describe it? I mean,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09would a normal person do that?
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I don't think so.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14This is a first for Chris.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19He's never seen anything like it, and what he discovers next just tops the lot.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Just here -
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I've took a photograph of it, actually - you've got a
0:19:26 > 0:19:29piece of dog poo in a bag, and just underneath there's a nest of a...
0:19:29 > 0:19:34I should imagine the size of the nest would be some sort of finch.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Isn't that horrible in the environment?
0:19:37 > 0:19:42You look at something that's really nice and you want to protect, and you've got that.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44It's, er...
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Just no excuse for it.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Chris has seen enough.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53He's now determined to catch the person responsible for this mess and throw the book at them.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Fixed penalty notice? No.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00I mean, that is not a fixed penalty notice. Caution?
0:20:00 > 0:20:04We're not always wanting to get people prosecuted, but in the context
0:20:04 > 0:20:07of this area, of the amount of bags, there's just no excuse.
0:20:07 > 0:20:14And in my opinion, this man should go to court and answer
0:20:14 > 0:20:17to the magistrates his actions for doing such a...
0:20:17 > 0:20:22disgusting, dirty thing as throwing bags in trees.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28Chris is now a man on a mission to nail the person responsible.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Still to come, has a local CCTV operator spotted the man
0:20:32 > 0:20:35who Chris believes has been throwing the bags of dog poo?
0:20:35 > 0:20:41- I just followed him on one of me cameras and managed to catch him... - Throwing the bags?- Yeah.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46And as Chris decides to stake out the crime scene, will he catch the
0:20:46 > 0:20:52phantom dog-poo-bag thrower in the act and get the evidence he needs to stop them in their tracks?
0:20:54 > 0:21:00Back in Hillingdon, officers are all ready for action in their undercover sting operation.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04They're hoping that a man is going to collect a car for scrap that they've planted.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08They need to check he's legit and whether he's responsible
0:21:08 > 0:21:11for the illegal fly-posting around their borough.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13John Davies is leading the operation.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16That's my colleague.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19And I shall take over the reins.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23All right, Sid? Oh, that's the keys, yeah? Do you know
0:21:23 > 0:21:25where they are? Out here, turn left, yeah?
0:21:25 > 0:21:27- Yeah.- They're in a marked police van.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33The police van is parked around the corner and out of sight from the decoy car.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41As an ex-copper, John's planned this operation down to a T.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44The reason why we chose this location is cos we can control it.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47You come into a cul-de-sac, close area.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51He's going to come in here,
0:21:51 > 0:21:58and obviously, from here then he is completely out of sight from anything that's going on outside.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01As soon as he's in, I'll contact my colleague.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04They can then get a bit closer than they are, cos they're about two,
0:22:04 > 0:22:05three hundred metres away at the moment.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09They can actually get to within fifty yards, so
0:22:09 > 0:22:12apart from our objectives of finding out who he is
0:22:12 > 0:22:18and his waste carrier's licence, we don't want to lose this car, cos it's not ours!
0:22:18 > 0:22:21John's in place, but there's no sign of our man.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Could he have smelled a rat and gone underground?
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Time to call the suspect to find out where he is.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33What's the latest? Well, I've just got here, and I've got to be at the solicitor's for eleven o'clock.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37I'm about ten minutes away, so if you can come pretty soon after that?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42You'll get your dad to do it, yeah? All right, mate. Cheers now.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45OK, whilst I was driving, I've had two missed calls off a number.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48It's a different number to the number that's on...
0:22:48 > 0:22:52the poster we've got.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54The chap wants to put it back an hour or so.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59Clearly, I don't. He's in Heathrow, picking up another car, so this
0:22:59 > 0:23:03is not a one-off situation.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08He's in Heathrow picking up another car, which he's got to deposit, and then he's got to come here.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10What he said he's going to do, he's going to get his dad to do it.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13So it's not a one-man operation. Maybe the whole family.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16He sounded different to the person I spoke to yesterday.
0:23:16 > 0:23:23When it comes to these sting operations, time is money, and John can't afford to wait any longer,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26so he gets on the blower to the suspect's dad.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31It's in Hillingdon, yeah. Do you know Hillingdon at all?
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Right. Do you know where Long Lane is?
0:23:35 > 0:23:38So see you in about twenty minutes or so, yeah?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44All right. Where are you travelling from?
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Near West Drayton? All right, boy.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54John needs to keep his fellow enviro-crimebusters Alan and Sid in the loop,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00because for the sting to be a success, attention to detail is key.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Game on, boys.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- The first guy who phoned me was the son.- Yeah.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12He's in Hounslow -
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Heathrow, sorry - picking up another job. He couldn't do it.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17So his father's phoned me. His father's the same chap I spoke to yesterday.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21He's having his breakfast, then he's going to make his way here from West Drayton.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23He said give him a half-hour. That was five minutes ago.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27I said, "Can you make it twenty minutes?" He says, "No, I'm having me breakfast."
0:24:27 > 0:24:30So yeah, a half-hour.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32I'll give you a buzz when he's here.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36John heads back to the decoy to wait for our suspect's dad
0:24:36 > 0:24:42away from our cameras and the police van, where the tension is mounting for Alan and Sid.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Any minute, I suppose.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49I'd be very, very surprised if he has got a waste carrier's licence.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54- But I've been surprised before. - Alan and Sid wait nervously for
0:24:54 > 0:24:59the signal in the police van, and finally the man has turned up and loaded the decoy car.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03PHONE RINGS
0:25:03 > 0:25:05OK, John.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Has he got it on the back, or is it hooked up on a spec frame?
0:25:08 > 0:25:09OK, he's moving.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12He's on his way out now.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17There he goes.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24It's all systems go, and the team can't afford to let this man get away.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29SIREN STARTS UP
0:25:31 > 0:25:33I've met you before!
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Later in the programme, officers come face to face with their target.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37You got a waste carrier's licence?
0:25:37 > 0:25:41- Yeah.- Have you got it with you?- They try to get to the bottom of who's
0:25:41 > 0:25:45behind Hillingdon's fly-posters and see whether this man is legit.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Back in Charnwood, enviro-enforcer Chris Carey has one of the most
0:25:52 > 0:25:56unbelievable cases he's ever dealt with.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Dozens of bags of dog poo have been found hanging from trees.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Would a normal person do that? I don't think so.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09And he's determined to catch the dog-poo-bag thrower.
0:26:09 > 0:26:16This man should go to court and answer to the magistrates his actions for doing such a...
0:26:16 > 0:26:20disgusting, dirty thing as throwing bags in trees.
0:26:20 > 0:26:27But this footpath by the A6 isn't the only place that's been hit by this particular type of dog fouling.
0:26:27 > 0:26:34In Rothley, for village warden Marion Vincent, it's a very common sight, unfortunately.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40I think we've got no bigger problems than a lot of villages, but we certainly do have problems.
0:26:40 > 0:26:47I do litter collecting, and I do pick up bags of dog faeces, and we do not like it.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56I used to be on the community-college council, and every meeting
0:26:56 > 0:27:01the subject of dog fouling on the playing fields came up.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04And it was so difficult to do anything about it.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09But the problem was children would be playing football and they would be falling in this dog mess.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12But we need to do something about it.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15It has got to be addressed.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Clearly, it's something she wishes wasn't an ongoing problem.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Until it stops, though, she does everything she can
0:27:21 > 0:27:25to help out, which includes patrolling the village every day.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28And every day she's got plenty to clean up.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Well, I don't like the look of that, to begin with, hanging up there.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35It's quite obvious what's in that bag.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37We've got another one down here.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39And another one.
0:27:39 > 0:27:45This looks as though it's an area where people think they can just put these bags.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47And as soon as you get one or two like this, more join them.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Litter attracts litter.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56So somebody is obviously using this area, so it does need to be looked at.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Sadly for Marion, it's looking like it's going to be a full-time, unpaid job.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05It's utterly disgusting.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Some people just don't seem to care.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12This is just what people don't want to see
0:28:12 > 0:28:13when they come for a walk.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19That's dreadful.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26This must be somebody that comes here on a regular basis.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Cans are a favourite, as well.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38It's beyond me, at times. I just don't think they care.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40I don't think they care about litter in general,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44and I think they're just leaving it for somebody else to clean up.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47They think, "Oh, I pay my rates.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50"Somebody else will do it. They'll look after it for me."
0:28:55 > 0:29:01Back at the scene of the phantom dog-poo-bag thrower, enforcement officer Chris is onto a good lead.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05A neighbouring factory has CCTV that overlooks the footpath.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Could the person have been caught on film?
0:29:08 > 0:29:10What we're going to do now,
0:29:10 > 0:29:16we're just examining some CCTV footage that's been taken by this company.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21- I've got him going down that far footpath with the bags and coming out with no bags.- Right.
0:29:21 > 0:29:29One night, it was quiet, so I just followed him on one of me cameras, and
0:29:29 > 0:29:32- I've managed to catch him... - Throwing the bags.- Yeah.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36Well, it's come to my notice with these in the last two, three month,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40but I think he's been walking down here for the last year.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Right. So you've seen him on a regular basis.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48Chris has decided to confront the person he suspects of being
0:29:48 > 0:29:52the bag thrower face to face, and he's desperate to get a result.
0:29:52 > 0:29:59This case is just one of many across the country, and Chris has got good reason to want to nail this person.
0:30:01 > 0:30:09As a nation, we own about seven million dogs, and they produce one thousand tonnes of poo every day.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Councils spend £22 million each year clearing up dog mess.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14And if that isn't a big enough reason to make sure you clear
0:30:14 > 0:30:19up after yours, it can also be dangerous for us.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26If we ingest it, we can catch an infection called toxocariasis.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Children are particularly at risk from this, and symptoms include
0:30:30 > 0:30:33abdominal pain, coughs and headaches.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38In extreme cases, it can result in permanent loss of sight.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46Back with Chris, the day has arrived for him to mount his
0:30:46 > 0:30:49sting operation to snare the phantom dog-poo-bag thrower,
0:30:49 > 0:30:53and he wants to catch them in the act.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Hopefully, he will turn up.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58If not, we'll have to try again.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04It's just being patient, really.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Chris waits down the road from the site.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18And just in case he needs backup, he's brought along his colleague Kevin, who's parked up behind him.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25It's a nail-biting wait.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29And then,
0:31:29 > 0:31:30just on cue...
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Yeah, it's there. It's there.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40He's got the bags in his hand.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Chris has got to hang back.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48If this person is the bag thrower, he needs to try and catch them in the act.
0:32:03 > 0:32:10- He's put the bags down on the side of the path.- I saw him bending down. - Yeah.
0:32:10 > 0:32:16He's picked it up. It'll be interesting to see whether just to wait for him to come out or...
0:32:16 > 0:32:18It doesn't go down far.
0:32:18 > 0:32:23The man's put two full bags on the grass verge of the footpath.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28He's only just placed them down about 75 yards into the actual
0:32:28 > 0:32:31footpath itself, so we'll just see when he comes back.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34If he hasn't got the bags, then he's deposited them.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43The suspect is now on their way back to the car.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Even for an experienced officer, this is always a nerve-racking moment.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55Time to confront the person Chris suspects of being the dog-poo-bag thrower.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Hello there. Can I have a quick chat?
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Chris's backup, his colleague Kevin, is keeping an eye on the proceedings from a distance.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07I've had a couple of complaints that you've been seen to throw your dog bags into trees.
0:33:07 > 0:33:13Basically, you've been seen on CCTV camera on a couple of occasions to throw the bags.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16I must tell you that you do not have to say anything.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Anything you do say may be given in evidence...
0:33:20 > 0:33:24I want to ask for your name and address - it is an offence not to give it to me, under
0:33:24 > 0:33:29the legislation - and just arrange for you to come into Charnwood Borough Council for an interview.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35He's refused to give me his name and address, although his wife has given me his name.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37I can do further checks from the information that we've
0:33:37 > 0:33:43got from the car registration number, and we'll send a letter asking him to come in for an interview.
0:33:43 > 0:33:50Chris believes he has strong evidence with the CCTV, but he will need to interview the person
0:33:50 > 0:33:53face to face and take his investigation from there.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Vehicle reversing.
0:33:55 > 0:34:00While Chris gathers his evidence, he's arranged for the area to be cleaned up.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Stand well clear.
0:34:02 > 0:34:08Sadly, it's the experts that have been brought in to do the job, not the person who did it.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11A bit unbelievable, really. I've never come across it before.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15We usually find the bags on the ground, but we've never had them in a tree before.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Whoever did it must be quite dedicated, because there's quite a few up there.
0:34:19 > 0:34:27With more than thirty bags in just one tree alone, it's a delicate and painstaking job to clear the lot.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40And of course, someone has to bag it all up.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44I thought it was a new form of Christmas decoration. It's ridiculous.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48I mean, he goes to all of the effort of getting the dog bags, cleaning up after his dog,
0:34:51 > 0:34:55and then he quite happily throws it away in the bushes and trees!
0:34:55 > 0:34:58He's got to be crackers!
0:34:58 > 0:35:02I've got to say, I don't fancy Christmas dinner round at your house.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Chris has got plenty to do before he's got a watertight case, and only
0:35:08 > 0:35:12time will tell whether anyone will be charged for this filthy crime.
0:35:14 > 0:35:20- Back in Hillingdon, a decoy car has just been picked up by a man in a van.- There he goes.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Officers think he might be transporting scrap cars and
0:35:22 > 0:35:30disposing of them without a licence and putting up illegal fly-posters all across the borough.
0:35:30 > 0:35:31SIREN SOUNDS
0:35:32 > 0:35:34As they catch up with him, it looks like the police recognise him.
0:35:37 > 0:35:42I've met you before! I met you a couple of weeks ago.
0:35:42 > 0:35:50- Yeah.- Ah! How are you, fella? All right?- OK.- Just doing some checks on some vehicles. Erm...
0:35:52 > 0:35:53- Pardon?- Just right here.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55All right.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57- This is for this, is it?- Yeah.
0:35:57 > 0:36:03The man is being co-operative, but they still need to check whether he's got a licence to remove cars.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05OK. Have you got a waste carrier's licence?
0:36:05 > 0:36:07- Yeah.- Have you got it with you?
0:36:07 > 0:36:08I have paperwork.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Yeah, yeah.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12The document should be there, yeah.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Yeah, can I have a look? Sure, sure.
0:36:15 > 0:36:16What about waste transfer notes?
0:36:16 > 0:36:19When you pick up, you need to show a
0:36:19 > 0:36:23document to say where the waste has come from and where the waste is going to.
0:36:23 > 0:36:24Well, I have the thing to say where I sell it. OK, yeah.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Alan is being extremely thorough
0:36:31 > 0:36:36and making sure the man can prove he's doing everything by the book.
0:36:37 > 0:36:43So you've got 10, 8/12, 6th of the 2nd... There's more here.
0:36:45 > 0:36:488th of the 2nd. 17th of the 2nd.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50OK, that's fine.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53- I have them all...- No, that's fine.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Can I just take your details, please?
0:36:55 > 0:37:00- Yeah.- And it looks like our man is legit.- You're one of the first people I've stopped
0:37:00 > 0:37:04that can produce the actual paperwork. Yes.
0:37:04 > 0:37:10The man's paperwork is all in order, but there's one key outstanding issue,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14the fly-posting. It's serious.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17This sting operation was put together after between three and
0:37:17 > 0:37:21five hundred of this type of poster were found right across the borough.
0:37:21 > 0:37:28If this man is responsible and he can be linked to them, he could be in big trouble.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Each poster carries a potential fine of £100, and if you do the maths,
0:37:32 > 0:37:39that could mean a total fine of between £30,000 and £50,000. Ouch!
0:37:39 > 0:37:42What's happened, he's a very reasonable chap.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47He's got all his waste transfer notes, he's got his waste carrier's licence,
0:37:47 > 0:37:52and I've done some checks since I spoke to him when he took the car away.
0:37:52 > 0:37:58The place he's taking it to is very respectable and reputable, and they only deal with legitimate companies.
0:37:58 > 0:38:03So it appears on this occasion all he's doing wrong is putting the fly-posters up.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Still doesn't answer the question for the signs.
0:38:05 > 0:38:11But the man is denying the fly-posters have anything to do with his business.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14You had a phone call from the guy that you picked that car up from.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16- Yes. Yes.- He called that number.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18But that is not my number.
0:38:21 > 0:38:22This is what's happening with them.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24They're going up all over the borough.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26But that is the phone number.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29- So what's the problem?- It's illegal.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32- Yeah?- It's classified as fly-posting. - Yes, yes, yes, yes.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37Each one of those signs that goes up we can actually issue a fixed penalty notice for of £100 each.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42His phone number's not there.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45But what he's said is he's going to put the word
0:38:45 > 0:38:48around about the signs.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51So they're all linked, but the trouble is, we haven't got
0:38:51 > 0:38:55the evidence to link this one up to this one, which is a bit frustrating.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- 'Ey?- We'll decide now how to deal with that.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02We've got his name and address. He's clearly not a bad lad.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06We can see he's perfectly compliant. He's just
0:39:06 > 0:39:09got to re-appraise his advertising techniques.
0:39:09 > 0:39:16And those advertising techniques are about to be thoroughly investigated back at Hillingdon HQ.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20Alan's been checking the cash-for-scrap fly-posters
0:39:20 > 0:39:26they've taken down off lampposts, and he's come up with a strong lead.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29It's a direct link to our man.
0:39:30 > 0:39:35When I come back to the office,
0:39:35 > 0:39:40I went through the signs that we've got, and lo and behold, there's this person's phone number,
0:39:40 > 0:39:46and that's one of his leaflets he sticks under people's windscreens, giving the same phone number.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49This is why we're bringing him in for interview, to try and
0:39:49 > 0:39:53find out where these signs are made and who is actually putting them up.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56When I've spoken to him on the telephone, he said, "Oh, I've got
0:39:56 > 0:40:00"a really good explanation why that number's on that sign."
0:40:00 > 0:40:04So I've told him, I said, "Leave it until we come in to interview."
0:40:04 > 0:40:07I said, "You can give me the explanation then under caution."
0:40:09 > 0:40:11A week after the sting operation, and it's time
0:40:11 > 0:40:18for the formal interview, which is not only taken under caution but its also recorded, as well.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23The tapes will be unsealed in front of him, put into the machine, the interview will start.
0:40:23 > 0:40:29When the interview is over, the tapes will be taken from the machine and one will be there for
0:40:29 > 0:40:33the interviewee, if he wants one, and one's
0:40:33 > 0:40:37- the working copy.- The man has turned up with his solicitor and declines
0:40:37 > 0:40:41to be filmed, so the interview is held behind closed doors.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54Thirty minutes later, it's all over, and his number is up.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59Alan briefs his big boss, Bill Hickson, the enviro crime team's manager.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04He paid some guy to go round and put them up in
0:41:04 > 0:41:10MOT testing stations, garage workshops and places like that inside.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14So they were on the inside, complying with the regulations.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17He did get very, very upset, because he hadn't realised
0:41:17 > 0:41:20they were going up on traffic lights and things like that.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22I said, "There's two ways we can deal with it.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25I can either prepare a case file and take it to court and actually
0:41:25 > 0:41:29prosecute you for it, or I can issue you with a fixed penalty notice now."
0:41:29 > 0:41:35He accepted the fixed penalty notice. I said, "You're trying to work within the law.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38"The trouble is, by having these signs put up on
0:41:38 > 0:41:41"lampposts and traffic lights, you just stepped outside them."
0:41:41 > 0:41:43Thanks, Alan.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46- OK.- In the end, the man has put his hands up to it all.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49He could have been fined for each poster that the team took down,
0:41:49 > 0:41:55but he's got off relatively lightly with a one-off £100 fine.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58Nevertheless, it has been a very fair cop.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01So, since we stopped the guy that we actually interviewed today,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04the amount of signs that are going up have
0:42:04 > 0:42:06quite dramatically reduced.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08I just hope the word's going
0:42:08 > 0:42:12round that we are out there and they have a good chance of getting caught now.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17So the man didn't turn out to be a Filthy Rotten Scoundrel, but the amount of fly-posters
0:42:17 > 0:42:21being slapped up all over the borough has considerably reduced,
0:42:21 > 0:42:25which means it's a job well done for Alan and the Hillingdon team.
0:42:27 > 0:42:32In the case of the phantom dog-poo-bag thrower, the investigation is still ongoing.
0:42:32 > 0:42:39The council is determined to get to the bottom of who's responsible and make them pay for their crimes.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44Join us next time, when we'll be revealing more Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:42:59 > 0:43:00E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk