0:00:02 > 0:00:06'In the UK, there's a war being waged to clean up our streets.'
0:00:06 > 0:00:11We had to have masks on, and gloves to protect ourselves.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14When you get a successful verdict,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17that's what you're looking for.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'From the 122 tonnes of cigarette ends
0:00:20 > 0:00:24'or 900 tonnes of dog poo that hit our streets daily,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26'to mountains of hazardous waste,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30'we're all affected by what's being dumped on our doorsteps.
0:00:30 > 0:00:36'Today, why would anybody dump 120 TVs on a Liverpool street?'
0:00:36 > 0:00:42If we don't get them shifted today, the kids will wreck the place.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46There'll be broken tellies all over the road.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50'Who dumped sensitive documents on a London pavement?'
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Bank statements, accounts... Look at this!
0:00:54 > 0:00:58This is heaven for credit card fraud.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01'What was going on in this illegal scrapyard
0:01:01 > 0:01:06'that needed 100 officers to storm it in search of the owner?'
0:01:06 > 0:01:12He very aggressively shouted at the local police officers and us.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15No... I'm expressing my feelings!
0:01:15 > 0:01:20'This is the fight against Britain's filthy rotten scoundrels.'
0:01:37 > 0:01:39'Enfield, north London.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44'This borough is hit by more than 6,000 illegal fly-tips every year.
0:01:44 > 0:01:51'The council's Environment Crime Officers are dedicated to catching criminals ruining their patch.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:55We will not tolerate fly-tipping in Enfield.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00There's absolutely no excuse. These are the people we want to stop.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05'Jeff's just picked up a case that urgently needs investigating.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09'40 bags of rubbish have been dumped on a pavement.'
0:02:09 > 0:02:14I'm pulling up to the location and I can see straightaway
0:02:14 > 0:02:17the problem we're dealing with today.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21'Jeff's passionate about his job
0:02:21 > 0:02:25'and making Enfield a greener, cleaner place to live.'
0:02:25 > 0:02:32We just want to keep it clean, not just anybody coming to dump things here. It's not right.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35They don't care. They get rid of it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38People think they've got a right to do it.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43It's not the case. They ought to be taken to court and dealt with.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47'Jeff's not one to mess around.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51'This investigator can spot a clue from ten paces.'
0:02:51 > 0:02:56Already, walked straight up to it, I found a bit of evidence.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01We've got some packaging, which looks to be pretty old.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05I'll take a photograph.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10'This is a great start. He's got a name and an address.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13'But there's a lot more rubbish to go through.'
0:03:13 > 0:03:16This is what I consider a substantial fly-tip.
0:03:16 > 0:03:23Generally, most reported fly-tips are three, four, five bags.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27We're not getting as much of this type of fly-tipping as we used to.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32'Jeff needs to gather as much evidence as possible - safely.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:34We have to wear gloves.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39It doesn't protect you against sharps and needles.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44We have heavy duty gloves for that, but I'm not digging down.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47It's so I don't get rat urine over myself.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52'It's not long before he's got a grasp on the kind of fly-tip.'
0:03:52 > 0:03:57I think this is a house clearance. There's just clothes in that.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01This looks like it's got correspondence. I'll look in here.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04'The clues keep coming, thick and fast.'
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Ah, bingo! I have an address.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14It's the same address. It tallies in with the cardboard packaging.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17So it would suggest
0:04:17 > 0:04:22at least all the green bags have come from this address.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27'Jeff's now got enough evidence to get his investigation going.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31'He can now arrange for this mess to be cleaned up.'
0:04:34 > 0:04:39We've got a major fly-tip at the bottom of Palmerston Crescent, N13.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43There's probably 30, 40 bags here of household stuff.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Thanks, Liz. Cheers. Bye.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49'He's seen this kind of dump many times.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52'To him, this could be a professional job.'
0:04:52 > 0:04:54In my opinion,
0:04:54 > 0:05:01there's somebody going around, door-knocking, "Do you want me to clear your rubbish? £60."
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Then you find... This is an address in Wanstead.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10I hazard a guess they don't have a waste-carrier's licence
0:05:10 > 0:05:12to be authorised to carry waste.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15These are the people we want to stop.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19'What Jeff finds next is everyone's worst nightmare.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24'Imagine all your personal details being thrown out onto the street.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:29Bank statements, accounts. Look at this!
0:05:29 > 0:05:32This is heaven for credit card fraud.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36All this information among all these bags.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40It's amazing the stuff people actually throw away.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45They wonder why you get the criminal aspect, people get their details
0:05:45 > 0:05:51and then they get a phone call saying, "You owe us £2,000."
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Or "You bought a car lately."
0:05:54 > 0:05:59People are victims of crime but they're not helping themselves
0:05:59 > 0:06:03by allowing their waste to escape their control,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07allowing a third party to take their waste and fly-tip.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10'You've been warned. Be careful with your rubbish.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14'It might just end up in the wrong hands.'
0:06:14 > 0:06:19I'm pretty certain they've driven down Palmerston Crescent.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22They've come to the cul-de-sac, can't get through.
0:06:22 > 0:06:28Maybe the residents might have seen a vehicle depositing waste on the highway.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33I'll give them a knock and find out if anybody did witness this.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Hello. I'm from Enfield council environmental crime team...
0:06:37 > 0:06:41'We'll see if Jeff gets any leads from the locals later.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44'Still to come...
0:06:45 > 0:06:47'..as his investigation unfolds,
0:06:47 > 0:06:52'he tries to track down the woman whose address is on the envelope.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57'Could his investigation be over before it's even begun?'
0:06:57 > 0:07:00There's a bit of post on the floor.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03No-one home.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06'He's going to have to put in some leg work
0:07:06 > 0:07:10'to get to the bottom of this case and track her down.'
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Can you open the door, please?
0:07:12 > 0:07:18'Will he find the woman who, so far, has managed to elude him?
0:07:23 > 0:07:28'England's green and pleasant land, but all's not as it seems
0:07:28 > 0:07:31'in a beautiful Lancashire valley in 2008.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36'Strange goings-on on an isolated farm have been reported to the police.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42'Environment Enforcement Officer Leon Beard was called to investigate.'
0:07:42 > 0:07:48The police were getting complaints about noises at night and activity on the site.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51There were HGVs driving in and out.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56'A farm was getting more than its fair share of vehicles visiting.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00'Members of the public were getting the impression
0:08:00 > 0:08:06'that what was meant to be farmland was being used for other purposes.'
0:08:07 > 0:08:14The police got complaints about scrap cars being brought in. That's when they contacted us.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18'Leon and his team were immediately suspicious.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23'Reliable reports suggested that there was a scrapyard on the farm.
0:08:23 > 0:08:31'To operate as a car scrappage facility, you need to be registered, and this address wasn't.'
0:08:31 > 0:08:36From then, we worked with the police to try and deal with the site.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44'Leon didn't want to alert the scrap dealers to his investigation.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46'Surveillance was almost impossible
0:08:46 > 0:08:50'as he couldn't reach the site without being spotted.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53'Then, he hit upon a foolproof plan.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57'Leon called in Air Support,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02'an aerial photography unit from the Lancashire police force.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07'When Leon received the results, he couldn't believe his eyes.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10'The photographs revealed a scrap metal operation
0:09:10 > 0:09:14'spread over the size of two football pitches!
0:09:14 > 0:09:20'There were barns and yards full of cars, lorries and scrap.'
0:09:20 > 0:09:23You can see cars throughout the unit.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27You can see cars stored on the land as well.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Any oil spills will go straight into the ground
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and into the local water courses.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39'Worried that the illegal site could cause damage to the environment,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41'it was time to act, and act fast.
0:09:41 > 0:09:47'Leon planned a daring raid on what could be a sophisticated operation.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51'The Environment Agency and the police coordinated a raid
0:09:51 > 0:09:53'involving a very large team
0:09:53 > 0:09:57'including 30 enviro-enforcers and 70 police.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01'With no idea who or what they were going to find,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04'they couldn't afford to take any chances.
0:10:07 > 0:10:14'The raid took place early in the morning and, at first, there seemed to be no-one around.'
0:10:14 > 0:10:17COCK CROWS
0:10:17 > 0:10:21'But there was certainly no shortage of evidence.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23'The farm was in a shocking state.'
0:10:23 > 0:10:29Car engines, oil on the floor. The unit is filled with waste.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34'Suddenly, Leon and his team found themselves face-to-face
0:10:34 > 0:10:37'with a very irate scrapyard scoundrel.'
0:10:37 > 0:10:42He came out of his caravan, shouting at the local police officers and us.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47Don't... BLEEP. No, listen... No, I'm expressing my feelings.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52'The scrapyard mastermind's shouting cut no ice with the team.
0:10:52 > 0:10:59'They decided to arrest the man, but had to get him out of his towel and into some clothes.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02'Once the mouthy man is under lock and key,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04'the work can get under way.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08'Leon and his team have a search warrant
0:11:08 > 0:11:11'and they intend to leave no stone unturned.'
0:11:11 > 0:11:16We've gone into the warehouses for a further inspection of the waste
0:11:16 > 0:11:20to try and trace that and to identify that it was waste.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23'There was a huge amount of scrap.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28'Everything, including the kitchen sink, was scattered over the site.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33'What they found came as a huge shock to Leon.'
0:11:33 > 0:11:37In my time with the crime team with the Environment Agency,
0:11:37 > 0:11:42this illegal waste site is one of the worst I've seen.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45There's wagons with scrap vehicles on top of it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49'Scrapyards are normally on industrial estates
0:11:49 > 0:11:53'or premises built for the job, not on working farms,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56'with chickens laying eggs on car seats.'
0:11:56 > 0:12:01When you see that a working farm is being used for a business
0:12:01 > 0:12:04that involves waste such as hazardous oils
0:12:04 > 0:12:09and cars being broken up on site with no control measures,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12potential for environmental impact is alarming.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15That set the alarm bells ringing.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18'This was serious organised crime.
0:12:18 > 0:12:24'The illegal scrap metal yard had been set up to make these filthy rotten scoundrels rich.'
0:12:26 > 0:12:28To run a site properly,
0:12:28 > 0:12:33you're looking at around £20,000 to get the business up and running.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37That will include annual fees and cost of training staff
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and to get the site to where it should be.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45Any illegal business will, obviously, not pay that £20,000,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48or pay the annual subsistence fees.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53That gives them an opportunity to undercut legitimate businesses.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57'A criminal undercuts legitimate scrap dealers to make a fast buck.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00'It's pure greed.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10'Geoff Bridges' family-run vehicle dismantling yard in West Sussex
0:13:10 > 0:13:14'is a model for how a scrap metal business should be run.'
0:13:14 > 0:13:18When a vehicle is received, it is hazardous waste.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23A process called depollution takes it into less harmful normal waste.
0:13:23 > 0:13:31'Amazingly, the company aims to recycle up to 85% of each car they receive.'
0:13:31 > 0:13:34The first part of depollution
0:13:34 > 0:13:38is in this shed, the wheels are taken off and batteries removed.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42'This really is the gold standard of facilities.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46'There's an ingenious method of removing all harmful fluids,
0:13:46 > 0:13:52'something the mouthy man on the farm should have looked at.'
0:13:52 > 0:13:56We have five depollution rigs. Basically, car milking machines.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00If you top your car up with antifreeze or with oil,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02you put it in the top of the system.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06We're draining it out the bottom of the system.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Every bit of fluid
0:14:09 > 0:14:12is taken through piping to storage tanks.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17'Last, but not least, Geoff's favourite part of the process -
0:14:17 > 0:14:19'the crusher.'
0:14:19 > 0:14:25A vehicle has been through depollution, we've removed any parts we can for resale,
0:14:25 > 0:14:30the final process is for the vehicle to be crushed.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34That will then go away to a shredding plant,
0:14:34 > 0:14:39where it will be shredded, sent off for smelting and remanufactured.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47'Back in the Lancashire countryside, enviro-enforcer Leon Beard
0:14:47 > 0:14:52'prepared to throw the book at our scrapyard scoundrel, David Peters.'
0:14:52 > 0:14:55The investigation took two years.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59At no point did he come to us to ask for guidance
0:14:59 > 0:15:02to legitimise his business premises.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05We asked for various documents and information
0:15:05 > 0:15:09during the investigation, and he failed to produce those.
0:15:09 > 0:15:16'Leon had to trace everybody who unwittingly passed their vehicle to David Peters to be scrapped,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19'little knowing what a rogue they were dealing with.'
0:15:19 > 0:15:23We had to show to the public the seriousness of the offence.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Once they realised they were helping
0:15:26 > 0:15:29the local community and the environment,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32they were happy to get involved.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36'The evidence that the Environment Agency collected was damning.
0:15:36 > 0:15:43'The site was not set up to deal with any of the hazardous fluids.
0:15:43 > 0:15:49'Cars were dumped where they could leak and cause serious environmental damage.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53'David Peters had made an unbelievable amount of money
0:15:53 > 0:15:55'by dodging all the rules.'
0:15:55 > 0:16:01The case showed that the operator had earned around £315,000
0:16:01 > 0:16:06by dealing with the environmental crime, dealing with scrap metal.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Due to the investigation, he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14'The judge decided the offences were so serious
0:16:14 > 0:16:18'that he ordered David Peters to be hit where it hurts, in his wallet.
0:16:18 > 0:16:26'He was ordered to pay back the proceeds of his crimes, the full £315,000.'
0:16:26 > 0:16:29The court ordered Mr Peters to pay within six months.
0:16:29 > 0:16:37If he doesn't pay £315,000 to the Environment Agency to help the environment, he will go to prison.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41'David Peters' operation was a serious risk to the environment,
0:16:41 > 0:16:46'costing local businesses a mint as legitimate work was undercut.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50'For Leon, the guilty verdict, massive fine and threat of prison
0:16:50 > 0:16:55'are just desserts for this filthy rotten scoundrel.'
0:16:55 > 0:17:02The site has now shut and he no longer poses a threat to the local environment and communities.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05'If anyone's considering a life of crime,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08'the enviro-enforcers have a message for you.'
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Environmental crime doesn't pay.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14We will be tackling other illegal waste sites.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'Like everywhere in the country,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21'Liverpool has its fair share of problems with fly-tipping.
0:17:21 > 0:17:27'An average 40 incidents a day are reported by members of the public.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31'The sight greeting enviro-enforcers Steve Daley and Gary Southen
0:17:31 > 0:17:35'in April 2010, was visually arresting.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42We are finding more TVs getting dumped.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46But not 120! I've never had that one before!
0:17:46 > 0:17:5146-inch TVs or bigger! Somebody must have seen something.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54We'll see what happens with this one!
0:17:54 > 0:17:58'Steve and Gary were called out early by a colleague
0:17:58 > 0:18:05'who had already taken a butcher's hook, a look, at the wacky TV graveyard.'
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Somebody's been down just to have a look at it, then passed it to us.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14It needs further investigation. That's what we specialise in.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19If we don't get them shifted today, the kids will wreck the place,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22broken tellies all over the road.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27'120 massive TV monitors, all lined up like soldiers on parade.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31'Someone's got to be having a laugh.'
0:18:31 > 0:18:36It looks... It looks like something from a bookies'.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40'The TVs are covered in stickers from a local rental shop,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44'so it's not like there's a shortage of evidence to get started.'
0:18:44 > 0:18:48We're going to liaise with the gentleman who owns the company.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54We might look at seeing if we can get the company done for fly-tipping.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59'The TVs have been discarded right outside a business
0:18:59 > 0:19:04'that specialises in recycling old electronics - computers, DVDs
0:19:04 > 0:19:06'and old TVs!
0:19:08 > 0:19:12'Because these have been dumped on the roadside, it's a fly-tip.'
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Somebody who has a lock-up in here, late last night,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20had to remove the TVs before they could get in.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25'Despite the fact that the recycling company will lose out financially,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29'they decided to do the decent thing.'
0:19:29 > 0:19:3360 or 70, they brought in off the road.
0:19:33 > 0:19:39He's got every right to say, "They're not mine!" And it's down to the council to clear them.
0:19:39 > 0:19:46'If you're a business who needs to get rid of old TVs, a centre like this will charge you £4 each.
0:19:46 > 0:19:52'If you have a rear projection TV like this, it will cost £65 each.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56'It would cost around £8,500 to recycle this lot!'
0:19:58 > 0:20:02There's about 60 there and about 70 outside, isn't there?
0:20:02 > 0:20:05They have to book it in.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09It has to be weighed properly and authorised.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- This company's just dumped them. - There has to be an agreed price.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17It has to be agreed as well. I know it's a recycling plant.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21And, yeah, we're trying to impose recycling.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26But just to throw it on the sidewalk overnight - it's a fly-tip.
0:20:27 > 0:20:33'Our intrepid enviro-enforcer needs a word in the ear with the company concerned.'
0:20:33 > 0:20:38If it comes out that there's been a mix-up in communications,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41which could happen, a genuine mix-up,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45then we'll speak to the company and give them some words of advice
0:20:45 > 0:20:48on what they can and they can't do.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53This guy's got every right to say, "It's not my property."
0:20:53 > 0:20:59Then we've got a major problem of getting rid of 100-odd televisions.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04'To add insult to injury, the TV tippers can't even read.'
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Where they've been dumped, there's a sign
0:21:07 > 0:21:11saying that dumping refuse is an offence.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13They don't take any notice, do they?
0:21:13 > 0:21:16'But there's a twist in the tale.
0:21:16 > 0:21:23'The TV rental company had already sold the TVs on to someone else.'
0:21:23 > 0:21:28Speaking with the company, they were as bemused about it as us.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32So they said they'd sort out their own investigation.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36'It's been found out that the company had sold them to a man
0:21:36 > 0:21:40'who was refurbishing them in his shop.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42'He then died,
0:21:42 > 0:21:47'and the landlord of his shop took it back when the rent was unpaid.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52'After that, the 120 TVs appeared at the recycling centre.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56'The officers are now investigating how they got there.'
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'In the London borough of Enfield,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10'Jeff Elliot is trying to track down a woman who owns a property
0:22:10 > 0:22:14'where 40 bags of rubbish were dumped from.'
0:22:14 > 0:22:18It's a total lack of respect for the environment.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21We can't tolerate persons doing this.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25'This could be a long investigation but he's determined
0:22:25 > 0:22:30'to find the woman and find out what's going on with her rubbish.'
0:22:30 > 0:22:35It's the council. Can you open the door, please?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40'Just when he thought he wasn't going to get a result,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43'could he finally get to meet her?'
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Environmental Crime Team, Jeff Elliot speaking.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51'The Leeds and Liverpool canal
0:22:51 > 0:22:56'was built at the turn of the 19th century and stretches 127 miles.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01'In its industrial heyday, it was used to carry stone, coal and wool.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03'A jewel in the crown of the North,
0:23:03 > 0:23:08'even this beautiful canal is a target for fly-tipping scoundrels.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12'Look at what people think it's all right to dump here!
0:23:12 > 0:23:19'Help is at hand, in the form of the British Waterways litter boat.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21'It's early Thursday morning.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23'Every week, these men and this boat
0:23:23 > 0:23:28'set off for a full day cleaning up what's been left behind.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33'Firmly at the helm is supervisor Jimmy Swindells.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36'He's been working the canal for 33 years
0:23:36 > 0:23:40'and he hates what is happening to his pride and joy.'
0:23:40 > 0:23:44This is British Waterways property, for the benefit of the nation.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48A few small-minded people spoil it.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52It does get me quite mad, actually, to see lovely areas spoiled
0:23:52 > 0:23:58just for the want of a clean-up of rubbish other people's put in.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02'It's not just the harm to the canal that annoys skipper Jimmy.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06'It costs a fortune to clean it up as well.'
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Fly-tipping costs the canals a fortune.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15In our local section of canal in the North, the Leeds and Liverpool,
0:24:15 > 0:24:20it is £50,000 worth of skips just in the Burnley yard.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24So the full length of canal must be at least 150,000.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28That's just for floating debris that we get out the canal.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34'Jimmy is ably assisted by two Ians, Ian Johnstone and Ian Stanworth.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39'You name it, these men have probably fished it out the canal.'
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Loads and loads of pallets.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Paper bags. Plastic bottles.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Millions and millions of bottles.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Old canoes that people just leave.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54Things you wouldn't think about. Dustbins, wheelie bins.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I feel sorry and I feel angry.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59It's a lovely place. Swans, ducks.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04You won't be able to see them, but I've seen thousands of fish
0:25:04 > 0:25:09that you don't usually see in urban areas, and more fishermen.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13It's a great environment but some people spoil it.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16They're being selfish to get rid of their rubbish.
0:25:16 > 0:25:22'In any one year, they can expect to collect up to 40 tonnes of rubbish -
0:25:22 > 0:25:25'35 fridges, cookers and washing machines,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29'50 shopping trollies, 20 dog or cat carcasses and two or three cars.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32'Where's the partridge in the pear tree?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37'With a Christmas theme in mind,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41'here's something a very naughty Santa's left behind.'
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Christmas tree there.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49It's annoying. The council has an amnesty on Christmas trees.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53They'll collect them, but they'd rather throw them in canal.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58'It's mid-morning and our team has stumbled across a common sight.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02'They don't just clear rubbish from the water.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07'There's always plenty stacked up along the banks as well.'
0:26:07 > 0:26:11We're keeping on top of a site that's always fly-tipped on.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16If you don't, it'll just accumulate and just be a rubbish dump.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21We've just picked up a fire and a coffee table. There's no need.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26People will take it away. Just to throw it on an island...
0:26:26 > 0:26:31We can't readily access it. If we don't have the boat it builds up.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33'It's not just what you can see.
0:26:33 > 0:26:40'Years of people dumping in the canal is creating a time bomb beneath the surface.'
0:26:40 > 0:26:43It changes the depth. The floor is coming to the top.
0:26:43 > 0:26:50When the canals were dug out, they would have been four to ten foot deep in the middle.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55They're two and three foot, there's that much rubbish in the bottom,
0:26:55 > 0:27:00you know, of walls, plastic, tyres, stone - everything.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05Sunken wood. Some of that moves, so when you go over with a boat,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09it can catch the propeller and actually break the boat.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14'It's not just these three wise men that care about the rubbish.'
0:27:14 > 0:27:21We get people that really are concerned about canals in their community. They do take ownership.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Without people like that, there's no point.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30We might as well fill the canal in and walk away.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35'Mike Clarke has had enough of people ruining these waterways.'
0:27:35 > 0:27:38It's such a wonderful area.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42It's like a lung for this industrial area.
0:27:42 > 0:27:48When I see fly-tipping, people chucking stuff in, it does upset me.
0:27:48 > 0:27:54If there's things like plastic bags, ducks can get caught up in them.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Sometimes, you get cars pushed into the canal.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02The oil and petrol out of there can pollute the water.
0:28:02 > 0:28:08The worst sort is the rubbish that gets into the bottom and disappears.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Metal pieces are worst.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15If you fall into the canal, you can get caught on the metal
0:28:15 > 0:28:17and you could drown.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22'Back with our dedicated cleaning team,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26'the afternoon starts with them calling on their secret weapon,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28'their mechanical grabber.'
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Manual handing, we can get up to a pallet size.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46Anything above that we use a mechanical grab, which does the job.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51In winter, when the water levels are up,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54it draws rubbish to the front of the overflow and sinks.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57So John's taking the rubbish out,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01instead of it going over the overflow and polluting the rivers.
0:29:01 > 0:29:06Some of it inevitably does - plastic, cans, all sorts.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09We try and stop that by cleaning the front,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13putting it on the boat and taking it away.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16'The team is always on the lookout
0:29:16 > 0:29:19'for clues as to who's dumped the rubbish.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22'They work with Burnley's enviro-enforcers
0:29:22 > 0:29:25'to investigate illegal dumping.'
0:29:25 > 0:29:31Bin bag. Bring that to the side, see if we've got anything in it.
0:29:31 > 0:29:37We can't open it. We have to get the Enforcement Officers to do it.
0:29:37 > 0:29:43It verifies who's done it and it starts to be documented. They take photographs of it.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45This is very common.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50They've took the trouble to bin it up, then they throw it in the canal!
0:29:50 > 0:29:56'It makes no sense to me, but could this be a treasure chest of clues?'
0:29:56 > 0:29:59If there's papers in there,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02no doubt there'll be envelopes or an address.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07Hopefully, we'll catch them and just have a word about it.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12'We're nearing the end of their weekly trawl.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15'There's one last place to check.
0:30:15 > 0:30:21'That's a surveillance operation to catch the fly-tipping scoundrels in the act.'
0:30:21 > 0:30:26Round the corner, we've got a mill and a road at the side of it.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Unfortunately, we've had repeat fly-tipping there.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34They come along in vehicles, instead of taking rubbish to the tip,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37they've thrown it in the canal from there.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40With the Enforcement Office of Burnley Council,
0:30:40 > 0:30:42we're going to mount a camera
0:30:42 > 0:30:48and start getting registrations and hard evidence we need to prosecute.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52This is one of the worst spots in Burnley for fly-tipping,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and this is the source of it.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59The section we're sailing on now is the Burnley Mile.
0:30:59 > 0:31:04It's a straight mile through the heart of Burnley.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08On the left, you can see the new shops and the town hall.
0:31:08 > 0:31:13On the right, the famous Burnley football ground.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16'It's time to wrap up the day.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19'Today's weekly fly-tip trawl is over.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24'Their mucky haul's included a coffee table, footballs, a heater
0:31:24 > 0:31:26'and that Christmas tree.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30'With the litter boat drowning with all that filthy rubbish,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33'it's time to unload.'
0:31:36 > 0:31:38We get that every day.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42We fill two or three skips every week.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Four skips, five skips.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49It's not fair on the environment.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53They still carry on doing it. I wish they'd stop.
0:31:53 > 0:32:00'An hour later, and the litter boat is litter-free, ready to start again next week.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04'After 33 years on the canals, skipper Jimmy
0:32:04 > 0:32:07'is determined to keep doing his bit
0:32:07 > 0:32:10'for anyone wanting to enjoy this jewel of the North.'
0:32:10 > 0:32:15It's a belting asset, a national asset, 200 years of history.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19It can be so nice for them and where they live.
0:32:19 > 0:32:25'The black bag was handed to Burnley's enviro crime team
0:32:25 > 0:32:29'but it didn't contain enough evidence to pursue the case.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31'That case is now closed.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37'Back in Enfield, Jeff Elliot is investigating
0:32:37 > 0:32:42'an illegal fly-tip of 40 bags of rubbish.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45'Despite no locals seeing anyone dump it,
0:32:45 > 0:32:50'he does have a name and address for a woman he found on an envelope.
0:32:50 > 0:32:57'He also found bank statements and personal documents, so his next step is to track her down.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59'Before he does that,
0:32:59 > 0:33:03'Jeff stumbles across another fly-tip that needs his attention.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08'It's an all too common sight, one that frustrates him incredibly.'
0:33:08 > 0:33:11All people want is their rubbish
0:33:11 > 0:33:16not to be in their back garden, and put it somewhere away from them.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20They don't look at the bigger picture,
0:33:20 > 0:33:26what it's going to do for vermin - the mice, the rats, the foxes, the environment.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30These people have kids, they play around here.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34They don't care. They see all this rubbish material on the highway.
0:33:34 > 0:33:40It's part of life. "I'll throw my rubbish out cos somebody else does."
0:33:40 > 0:33:45I could drive you three miles to an area that doesn't have this,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48because the mind-set of people is different.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51It's all about getting your message across.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55'There are no clues for Jeff, so it'll have to be cleared away -
0:33:55 > 0:33:59'at the expense of us, the tax payer.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04'With the case of the green bags, Jeff is now back at his office.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08'When he rummaged through, he found an address where it came from.
0:34:08 > 0:34:14'He's already visited that house but there was no sign of the woman that owns it, just some builders.'
0:34:14 > 0:34:18At the property, I spoke to several builders.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23All I found out was they gave the rubbish to a man with a van.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26If that's true or not, I don't know.
0:34:26 > 0:34:32Ultimately, the responsibility is with the land-owner,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35the property owner in this case,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39to dispose of their waste responsibly.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41It clearly hasn't happened.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46'Jeff's found out that the woman doesn't live there any more.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51'He's used resources at the council to find out where she does live.'
0:34:51 > 0:34:56I checked with the council tax team and found who owns this property,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00and cross-referenced that with a Land Registry search.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04I've established a forwarding address in Tottenham.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Hopefully, the lady can tell me who she commissioned to do the work.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13We should get to the bottom of this because that's just not on.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17'It's amazing what a day can achieve.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20'He's now got an address and he's heading there.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25'He wants to invite her to his office to formally interview her
0:35:25 > 0:35:27'about the fly-tipped rubbish.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30'The question is, will she be in?'
0:35:46 > 0:35:49There's post on the floor.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52'It's not looking good for Jeff.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56'His investigation can't be on the rocks already.'
0:35:56 > 0:36:01It is a familiar problem, trying to track down the persons responsible.
0:36:01 > 0:36:07Once we're confident we've got the right person, we take further action.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11The fly-tip in question was a substantial fly-tip.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15It's a total lack of respect for the environment.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18We can't tolerate persons doing this.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24'Before he leaves, he decides to post the interview invitation,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28'in the hope that the woman will be in touch.'
0:36:32 > 0:36:35No-one home. No-one home.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39'Not long after, the woman did get in touch with Jeff
0:36:39 > 0:36:43'and agreed to be interviewed about her other property.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45'As she doesn't live there,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49'he's decided to see if the builders or anyone else has information
0:36:49 > 0:36:53'about what happened to the rubbish.'
0:36:53 > 0:36:59They inherited a property and, I believe, and somebody acting on their behalf.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03If I keep an eye on the property I might catch somebody I can speak to,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06I can maybe get some sense out of.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:37:10 > 0:37:14'It doesn't look like there's any sign of those builders.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18'Will anyone be in that can help?'
0:37:18 > 0:37:21It's the council. Can you open the door, please?
0:37:23 > 0:37:27'It's not looking too promising for Jeff.'
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Looks like they're a bit shy coming forward.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33There's a window open so...
0:37:33 > 0:37:38I imagine someone's around but they don't want to open the door to me.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42'Jeff's not giving up. He suspects someone is inside.'
0:37:42 > 0:37:48I saw a finger at the curtain, so there is somebody there.
0:37:48 > 0:37:53There's someone looking through the gap.
0:37:53 > 0:38:00I've got the landlord coming in to see me next week, anyway. I should get some questions answered.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09'Nearly a month later, the woman who owns the property is now coming in
0:38:09 > 0:38:12'for her formal interview with Jeff.
0:38:12 > 0:38:18'He'll be assisted by fellow Enforcement Officer, Lee Ryder.'
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Lee Ryder is also an Environmental Crime Officer.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27I've asked Lee to attend the meeting because, to do an interview meeting,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30we have to have two officers present.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35One will take verbatim notes. The other leads on the questioning.
0:38:35 > 0:38:41Lee will be given an opportunity to ask questions which I've missed.
0:38:41 > 0:38:47I need to brief Lee why we're interviewing this person, so he knows what questions I'll ask.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51I hope he can get his head around it.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56It's not one of his cases. He knows nothing about it at the moment.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01I suspect we should do well today to find out exactly what's going on,
0:39:01 > 0:39:03what arrangements were made
0:39:03 > 0:39:06between the owner and the people they had in.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10We need to work out who these people are.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14I suspect they're our next port of call.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17'It's not long before the woman arrives.'
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Environmental Crime Team, Jeff Elliot speaking.
0:39:23 > 0:39:29Yeah. Good stuff. I'll be out in a moment. Thank you.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Bye.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36'The woman's on her way up.
0:39:40 > 0:39:48'She doesn't want the interview to be filmed but there's clearly a lot of information to get through.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02'More than an hour passes before Jeff has the full picture.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07'There's a lot more to this story than first meets the eye.'
0:40:07 > 0:40:12She came with her son, who had more information for me
0:40:12 > 0:40:15which has now helped with my enquiries.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18At this stage, after the meeting,
0:40:18 > 0:40:23I believe there's probably nowhere further to go with this case.
0:40:23 > 0:40:29Her and her son have had enough of having ownership of this property.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33Ever since she's had it, there's just been one problem after another.
0:40:33 > 0:40:39She lived there for 22 years as a carer for the previous owner.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42I believe that they left it in their will to her.
0:40:42 > 0:40:47'The woman hadn't maintained the property and let it deteriorate.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50'Everything is starting to fall into place,
0:40:50 > 0:40:54'regarding to who dumped all those bags of rubbish.'
0:40:54 > 0:40:56The property's got squatters in.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00The stuff that had been fly-tipped,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04the son actually recognised as being his waste.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08He left the rubbish to the side of the property in the garden.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10The squatters came in
0:41:10 > 0:41:14and cleared out the rubbish the son had put there.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18I did establish that a person, a "man in a van"
0:41:18 > 0:41:22took the rubbish away.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26I've got no registration details, no description of the person.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30There's no way I'll be able to track this person.
0:41:30 > 0:41:36'With no details of the person that took the green bags, it leaves Jeff frustrated with the case.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39'But action needs to be taken with the property.'
0:41:39 > 0:41:45This lady's got clear issues with how to deal with the squatters.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50I can give her some sound advice on how to deal with the situation.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55She's fully at ease that she's not going to be in trouble.
0:41:55 > 0:42:02And she's more knowledgeable about what she can and can't do about the squatters. We're here to help.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06We're not always here to nail people to the floor.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09We really want to try and help.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13The residents of Enfield pay their council tax.
0:42:13 > 0:42:18If we do more than we're supposed to, it's a better service.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22'When enviro-enforcers start an investigation,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25'they never know where it's going to finish.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30'This ended with the house being sold and the squatters evicted,
0:42:30 > 0:42:33'so it can be renovated by the new owner.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39'Next time you see some tyres, bin bags or rubble dumped,
0:42:39 > 0:42:44'spare a thought for the officers bringing the villains to justice.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49'Join us next time, hot on the heels of more filthy rotten scoundrels.'
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd