0:00:02 > 0:00:06'Welcome to the fight to clean up our streets and put the great back into Britain.'
0:00:06 > 0:00:10We will not tolerate people fly-tipping in Enfield.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Our job is to find and to prosecute them.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18'Every 30 seconds, someone somewhere in the UK illegally dumps rubbish.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23'From bags of dog poo to mountains of rubble, it's wrecking the streets where we live.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26'Coming up on today's programme,
0:00:26 > 0:00:31'a night-time operation to catch businesses illegally dumping their waste.'
0:00:31 > 0:00:34You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence
0:00:34 > 0:00:37if you do not mention something you later rely on in court.
0:00:37 > 0:00:43'In Liverpool, officers are trying to track down a person who's been very busy dumping in a back street.'
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I'd say this is roughly five separate tips.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Ah, there we go. We have a name and address.
0:00:50 > 0:00:57'And two brothers have been caught red-handed dumping van-loads of rubbish on CCTV.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00'Will officers get the results they desperately need?'
0:01:00 > 0:01:06Pictures speak a thousand words. But it's really into the judge's hands, how it's going to turn out.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11'This is the fight against Britain's Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.'
0:01:30 > 0:01:35'London. It might look fantastic from the sky, but there's a war being waged on its streets.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40'A war against fly-tipping.
0:01:40 > 0:01:46'Every year, more than half a million illegal fly-tips take place right across the capital.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50'Each borough council has a crack team of investigators
0:01:50 > 0:01:53'determined to catch the scoundrel responsible.'
0:01:53 > 0:01:56There's absolutely no excuse for this behaviour.
0:01:56 > 0:02:02I don't want to see fly-tipped tyres being left in people's front gardens,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04people's driveways, children's play areas.
0:02:04 > 0:02:10We have cameras out there, we will find out who you are and we will deal with you appropriately.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12'In extreme cases,
0:02:12 > 0:02:17'investigators from different boroughs work together to bring the criminals to justice.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21'This is the story of how two brothers, Leslie and Leonard Price,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25'responsible for some of the worst fly-tips in four London boroughs,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'were brought down by the council determined to get them.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34'Hillingdon, West London, in the dead of the night.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39'CCTV has caught a van about to dump its load all over a road.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46'The investigating officer for this serious fly-tip is Jan Carlo Cera.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52They came with a white tipper...
0:02:55 > 0:03:00..and they dumped approximately two tonnes of building waste.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05This is a bus route and, obviously, caused some disruption to traffic.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10In fact, there was debris scattered all over the place
0:03:10 > 0:03:15and cars going up and down the road had difficulties driving through.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17'And, as if that wasn't bad enough,
0:03:17 > 0:03:22'the same van was captured in the same place dumping another load of waste on the road.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26'This time, they were brazen enough to do it in broad daylight.'
0:03:26 > 0:03:32In the second incident, the white tipper comes from that way.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37The second brother gets off the vehicle,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40walks back towards the first brother,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42fly-tips the waste.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49'The van then hastily draws off, but the brothers are not quite done here yet.'
0:03:50 > 0:03:54After three or four minutes, the CCTV video shows
0:03:54 > 0:03:57the vehicle coming back.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Now, what we think is that, when he got to the top of the road,
0:04:03 > 0:04:10he realised, or maybe his brother pointed out, that some of the waste had been left on the vehicle.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18'They clearly want to do a good job of it and are back to dump the rest.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23'But our trusty CCTV operator hasn't just been quick with the camera,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26'they've also been quick to dial 999
0:04:26 > 0:04:31'and in a matter of minutes, the brothers were caught bang to rights. What a result!'
0:04:31 > 0:04:36For the police officer to be in the right place at the right time, they were in the area,
0:04:36 > 0:04:41and they managed to attend the site very quickly after the call.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47'This is one of the most outrageous cases Jan Carlo has ever had to deal with.'
0:04:49 > 0:04:53I got the impression that they are not really bothered.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56They know how the system works, they think they can get away with it.
0:04:56 > 0:05:03They're not afraid of being seen, they don't show any remorse or any shame or anything,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06any sort of regret for what they do.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14'The Price brothers clearly don't give a monkeys about the implications of what they're doing.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18'But fly-tips like these are a huge problem for people like Michael Judd
0:05:18 > 0:05:20'who owns stables in the area.'
0:05:20 > 0:05:24We run a riding school in Hillingdon. It's been established now for 50 years.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27We use various parcels of land throughout the borough for grazing
0:05:27 > 0:05:33and for exercise for the horses so they're not too lively when they come into the school to work.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35This is one of the parcels of land we use.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39This road has always been a major problem for tipping.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44If anything comes into our field, it has to be picked up before we put the horses back in.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49Then it has to be disposed of. I keep a skip in my yard, which costs me quite a lot of money to empty.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53It all costs me time and money to clear other people's mess up.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58'And the mess needing to be cleared up is about to get even bigger.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03'Still to come, as Jan Carlo's investigation unfolds,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05'it looks like the brothers are responsible for
0:06:05 > 0:06:07'much more than he first expected.'
0:06:09 > 0:06:12It's probably one of the largest-scale incidents
0:06:12 > 0:06:16that we're currently investigating and have investigated
0:06:16 > 0:06:18for several years now.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26'It's 7pm in North London and Islington Council's environment investigators
0:06:26 > 0:06:31'are on a sting operation to catch out sly traders dumping their waste illegally.'
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Are these bags yours?
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Are you sure?
0:06:36 > 0:06:39'The man in charge tonight is environment street manager Tim Trune,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43'who's joined by his officers Malcolm, Daniel and Eda.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49'46-year-old Tim spent 21 years tackling environmental crime in North London's boroughs.'
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Hello. Can I have a quick word outside?
0:06:51 > 0:06:56'For the past three years, he's been fighting to keep the streets of Islington clean
0:06:56 > 0:06:58'and he's sick of businesses trying it on.'
0:06:58 > 0:07:03What's happening is their waste is being taken away by the council
0:07:03 > 0:07:07free of charge, so it's up to us to make sure that we close that loophole.
0:07:08 > 0:07:15'In Islington alone, there are around 10,000 firms that generate 130 tonnes of rubbish a week.
0:07:15 > 0:07:21'Trade waste has to be disposed of properly and is meant to be put in special plastic bags.
0:07:21 > 0:07:27'Businesses buy these from the council for about £1 and they're collected at specified times.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31'While many traders play it by the book, some are pulling a fast one
0:07:31 > 0:07:36'and putting out their rubbish in thousands of ordinary bin bags.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39'Across the UK, these cheats are costing us, the taxpayer,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44'somewhere in the region of £25 million to dispose of their trade waste.'
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Our brief for tonight is, we're going to have a look at the waste
0:07:49 > 0:07:53and find out what waste is out illegally. We'll do this until the early hours of the morning.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Hello, sir, are you all right? Do you remember me?
0:07:58 > 0:08:04'28-year-old Eda trained as a police officer before joining Islington's environment enforcers.'
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Do you have any bags? - 'She's known for her tenacity
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'and her Turkish background has come in pretty handy, too.'
0:08:11 > 0:08:16There's a big Turkish community here. I try and keep to English as much as I can,
0:08:16 > 0:08:23but if they don't understand, then I'll just translate it and speak to them in Turkish.
0:08:24 > 0:08:30'26-year-old Daniel, who's another crusader for the local environment, has been on the job for four years
0:08:30 > 0:08:33'and is tired of traders making our streets a mess.'
0:08:34 > 0:08:39Not only is it the cost of it going to landfill,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41if you just look here,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43it's the cleansing, as well.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48The pavements are stained. We'd have to arrange for a deep clean, guys come down, jetting it.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55'Tonight's sting is targeting the north of the borough that's filled with late-night takeaways,
0:08:55 > 0:09:01'cafes and convenience stores, and it's not long before Daniel and Eda find what they're looking for.'
0:09:01 > 0:09:06Basically, it's these bags here. I've seen these before.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07I'm just going to take a picture now.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13So, basically, I've got the picture of the bags and ... Fried Chicken,
0:09:13 > 0:09:18which I think is where it's come from. So I'm just going to go through it now.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Yeah, they're all black sacks.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23They should be in authorised trade sacks
0:09:23 > 0:09:28with print on it stating the name of the company that's going to collect it.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33That's clearly commercial waste. Food containers.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40Pitta bread. Industrial-size tomato sauce bottles.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45'In other words, it doesn't look like the stuff that you and I would normally chuck out.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50'And there's loads of it.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54'And then, Daniel finds the last bit of proof he needs.'
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I've got evidence with Fried Chicken on it.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02'Well, this looks like an open and shut case, surely.'
0:10:03 > 0:10:07We've gone through the waste and we have reason to believe it's come from your premises.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Because the dustbin is here, everybody puts a dustbin here.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Can you just state, is this your waste?
0:10:14 > 0:10:16This one's mine.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- Those ones?- I don't know. - I can open them.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26'Is this guy a comedian? I can't believe he actually thinks he can fool Daniel and Eda.'
0:10:31 > 0:10:33It's the same type of stuff.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36It's all the same. All chicken.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Burger buns, chips. It's the same.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- Yeah, yeah. - Again. Fried chicken.- Yeah.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50- Yeah.- So this one is yours? - Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Right, so, you've got a significant amount of waste here
0:10:54 > 0:10:58illegally deposited on a public highway.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02'So the man fessed up to three bags of rubbish but, what a surprise,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05'there are seven and they're all his.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11'But that's not the half of it. It turns out this takeaway has previous form.'
0:11:11 > 0:11:15So you're aware it's an offence to place your waste out in black sacks.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- Yeah.- OK.- Yeah?
0:11:17 > 0:11:22'Ten out of ten for trying, but there's no pulling the wool over Daniel and Eda's eyes.'
0:11:23 > 0:11:26He's accepted that the waste has come from their business.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31There's a substantial amount of waste here. If you imagine this goes out every evening.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35It's likely he will receive another fixed penalty.
0:11:35 > 0:11:41If not, it could even go to prosecution, cos this is quite a large amount of waste.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45'That's Islington Council one,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47'cheating traders nil.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52'Still to come, officer Tim Trune works on into the night
0:11:52 > 0:11:55'to keep Islington's businesses in check.'
0:11:55 > 0:11:58You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence
0:11:58 > 0:12:01if you do not mention something you later rely on in court.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Anything you do say will be given in evidence.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08'Early on a Monday morning in Liverpool
0:12:08 > 0:12:12'and enforcement investigator Martin Handley has a busy day ahead of him.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16'It's his job to make the city a cleaner place for the residents
0:12:16 > 0:12:18'who have just had enough.'
0:12:18 > 0:12:22There's beds, there's wardrobes, there's three-piece suites,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24there's bin bags full of clothes,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28there's cement, there's everything. You name what you can dump, they dump.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32There's no pleasure in waking up in the morning, looking out of the window
0:12:32 > 0:12:35on a nice day and seeing a load of rubbish.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Well, I don't think they care about what other people think.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I think it's just, "Let's take it and get rid of it."
0:12:43 > 0:12:46'Weekends usually see an increase in illegal fly-tips,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50'so by the time Monday comes around, he's straight on the road
0:12:50 > 0:12:52'to try and catch the villains wrecking his city.'
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Where we live, it's...
0:12:56 > 0:13:00I think, one of the best cities in the world anyway,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04with all the heritage it's got, world-famous for its football, its music,
0:13:04 > 0:13:10comedians, some good-looking people have come from here, me not included.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15It wasn't the cleanest and, yes, there was a lot of fly-tipping, but it's decreased.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20If we can make a little difference, make it a bit cleaner, where we live,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23because it's our city as well as everybody else's,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26then job done.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31'Martin's partner in grime today is Bill.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36'He's an ex-dustman and what he doesn't know about rubbish and fly-tipping isn't worth knowing.'
0:13:37 > 0:13:42'Martin and his team constantly keep an eye on fly-tipping hotspots around the city
0:13:42 > 0:13:46'and he's just had a tip-off that one of them has been targeted.'
0:13:47 > 0:13:51We're on Grafton Street in Liverpool 8
0:13:51 > 0:13:57and it's a Monday morning special, furniture with some bags.
0:13:58 > 0:14:04So, again, it's just a case of me and Bill having a look to see what we can find out there.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06So let's go and do that.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14It tends to be more over the weekend that this type of thing gets done
0:14:14 > 0:14:19and we come in and we start finding them all throughout the week.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24Predominantly one of the worst areas in Liverpool for fly-tipping, unfortunately.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29So it's a pretty busy area. As you can see, anywhere at all.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33'This is turning into a good morning for Martin because he's already got a result.'
0:14:33 > 0:14:38On the boxes, there's a name and address just there,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40so we'll photograph that.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46'It never ceases to amaze Bill just how lazy some people are.'
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Not ten minutes from this location, just on the main road down there,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54is the tip, and you can put it there free of charge. Open seven days a week.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58So if we find them, we'll give them the information for where they can take it next time.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00'No excuses there, then.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04'And Martin's starting to get a clearer picture of the person that's dumped this lot.'
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Betting slip, but I don't think any of them came up for him.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15Very optimistic person, whoever that was, they had Wolves to win away at Arsenal.
0:15:16 > 0:15:22'Optimistic but a fool, because Martin's found something that could be a nail in their coffin.'
0:15:23 > 0:15:27- Not too bad.- A couple of days ago. That's from up the road there.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30People don't realise what they're throwing away.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Not only is the girl's name and address on it, but also there's a phone number on it.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40'The boys are on a roll this morning and they've got great evidence to follow up on.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45'And, being a Monday morning, they've got their fair share of fly-tips to investigate today.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48'And this tip looks very familiar indeed.'
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Surprise, surprise, the old-style television there.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Pink bed frame, obviously a little girl's. So, again,
0:15:56 > 0:16:01let's have a look and see what's going on with the world.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06'Martin's being helped out on this one by his colleague, Will,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11and there's a regular routine to how they start off searching a fly-tip like this.'
0:16:11 > 0:16:16As per normal, a bit of a boot, see if there's any vermin or whatever in it.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19They'd leg it, hopefully.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22'Looking at this tiny bed frame and desk,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26'something tells Martin that one little girl perhaps isn't so little any more.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30'And, along with more bags of dumped rubbish, will they find the clues they need?'
0:16:30 > 0:16:37Some domestic waste. It may well be that there's nothing in it at all,
0:16:37 > 0:16:42or we could strike lucky again and end up getting an address out of it.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46'Will's got a nose for searching through bags like this,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'but could he have struck gold already?'
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Ah! There we go.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54We've struck lucky. Seen where it's from, as well?
0:16:54 > 0:16:58The address we've got on this envelope is well out of the area.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02'It would be easy to think this was all done by the same person,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06'but assumption isn't a word that's in Martin's vocabulary.'
0:17:07 > 0:17:11You can't always assume that this is connected with that.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15One attracts another attracts another. It's a chain effect.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18"If they can leave it there, I'll leave it there."
0:17:18 > 0:17:23'Martin and Will have got what they need and, as always, they leave a calling card.'
0:17:23 > 0:17:29What we'll do, as well, is leave this. It basically informs them of the offence
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and informs them of the consequences.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Erm, I don't think a lot of people realise that they are the consequences.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40£50,000. People could lose their house.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Hopefully it'll act as some form of deterrent because it'll show that
0:17:44 > 0:17:51we've looked at the bags, we've looked at the fly-tip, we've searched it.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55'Liverpool's enviro enforcers have been working very hard over recent years
0:17:55 > 0:17:59'to try and make their city a greener and cleaner place to live.'
0:17:59 > 0:18:03We have made a difference. It is improving.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07As you can see, there's lots of law-abiding people here.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11They try to keep their properties nice and clean.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15There's lots of building work, there's lots of redevelopment, regeneration going on,
0:18:15 > 0:18:20and the last thing local residents, local businesses want to see is this.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25'Too right, Martin. Fingers crosses that that letter gets you a result with this lot.
0:18:25 > 0:18:32'A Monday is always busy for these guys, but it looks like somebody's been even busier over the weekend.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38'Still to come, a secluded road just outside the city centre
0:18:38 > 0:18:41'has been hit, and this one is big.'
0:18:41 > 0:18:46I'd say this is roughly one, two, three, four, five separate tips.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51'But will they find any clues to catch the criminals?
0:18:52 > 0:18:56'Back in Islington, enviro investigators are scouring the streets
0:18:56 > 0:19:02'looking out for the businesses illegally putting out their rubbish in ordinary black sacks.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07'Trade waste must be disposed of properly in bags that traders buy from the council for around £1.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10'And this pays for the proper disposal of their waste.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15'Officers Tim and Malcolm are on the road, on the lookout for any rogue bin bags.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20'Now, it would be easy to think this is a small issue, but it all adds up,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22'and ends up costing us, the taxpayer.'
0:19:22 > 0:19:26If you consider that they're using five trade sacks and then two black sacks,
0:19:26 > 0:19:32they're doing that every night of the week, because most fast-food shops are open every day of the year,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36you're looking at 700, 800 sacks, which weighs probably quite a few tonnes.
0:19:36 > 0:19:42'Tim's really had enough of it. So when he spots council dustmen collecting a load of black sacks
0:19:42 > 0:19:45'near a kebab takeaway, he wants to check this out
0:19:45 > 0:19:47'because he's had a problem here before.'
0:19:47 > 0:19:50This is a known site to me for tipping
0:19:50 > 0:19:55and I've already dealt with this bloke via a fixed penalty, or my team have, on previous occasions.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00They put their waste here but they say it's not their waste, it's residential waste.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03'Time to have a word with a man from the shop.'
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Yeah, sorry, my name is Tim Trune, London Borough of Islington.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09It's about your waste which was down here.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11'Tim needs to do this under caution.'
0:20:11 > 0:20:14I'm going to caution you now.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence
0:20:17 > 0:20:22if you do not mention something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say will be given in evidence. OK?
0:20:22 > 0:20:28'A quick chat with the man from the shop and Tim's got no evidence to pursue the matter further.
0:20:28 > 0:20:34'But, like he does with every shop in the area, he'll be keeping an eye on what's going on here.'
0:20:34 > 0:20:40I will be here every night. I'll be checking that waste there. OK?
0:20:40 > 0:20:46'Islington's enviro investigators have to keep regular tabs on all the shops and restaurants on their patch
0:20:46 > 0:20:52'because they're determined to make sure the trade waste in their borough is disposed of properly.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58'In 2009, Islington Council handed out over 1,100 fixed penalty notices
0:20:58 > 0:21:01'against businesses putting out waste illegally
0:21:01 > 0:21:05'and these cost the crafty traders almost £87,000 in fines.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08'But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14'Islington's environment enforcers got mixed results from their night-time operation.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19'It was an £80 fine for the audacious workers at the chicken fast-food restaurant
0:21:19 > 0:21:23'that slung seven bags of illegal rubbish outside their front door.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30'Tim and his enforcers continue to keep regular tabs on all the firms in their patch.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33'So if you're thinking of pulling a fast one, watch out.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40'Still to come on Filthy Rotten Scoundrels,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43'the two brothers, Leonard and Leslie Price,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46'that have been caught repeatedly fly-tipping on CCTV
0:21:46 > 0:21:49'are now facing serious charges in court.'
0:21:49 > 0:21:53I'm hoping for, obviously, a successful result,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56but it's really in the judge's hands how it's going to turn out.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58'But first...
0:21:59 > 0:22:04'In the eastern county of Essex lies Tendring, a seaside district that's home to Clacton-on-Sea
0:22:04 > 0:22:10'and boasts 36 miles of coastline as well as rolling green countryside.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15'You'd think locals would make sure they kept this place clean and tidy for everyone to enjoy.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19'However, a few rotters are determined to ruin it for everyone else.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26'Enviro enforcer Darren Weaver has just picked up a new case.'
0:22:27 > 0:22:31I got a call earlier on regarding some asbestos
0:22:31 > 0:22:36that was suspected to be dumped by a football club in Holland-on-Sea.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41I want to make sure that we get it cleared as soon as possible, really.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46'Asbestos is no joke. If you breathe in the fibres, it can be fatal,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50'and that's why Darren needs to deal with it straight away.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53'But first, he needs to find it.'
0:22:58 > 0:23:03There should be two bags of asbestos dumped by a bungalow.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10There's some building material behind that wall there.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13'Could he have located the poisonous stash?'
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Yeah, it's not asbestos, anyway.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21That's just bricks, really.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Breeze blocks.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28'It looks like Darren's informants have got their wires crossed.'
0:23:28 > 0:23:31This is a problem we sometimes have,
0:23:31 > 0:23:36the location of the dumped waste is a little bit...vague.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40'It could be anywhere.
0:23:42 > 0:23:48'This place is teeming with bags and bits of trash, but there's no sign of the asbestos.'
0:23:48 > 0:23:52There's bags here. Bags and glass everywhere.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57'And if it does indeed exist, it's something Darren needs to find and sharpish.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59'But this is all in a day's work.'
0:23:59 > 0:24:06I'd rather people call me and talk to me and give me information and I come and it's nothing,
0:24:06 > 0:24:11rather than people not calling me and there is something there and it just gets left there,
0:24:11 > 0:24:16because if I don't know about it, I'm not going to be able to attend and investigate it.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19And it sits there for weeks and weeks and kids play with it
0:24:19 > 0:24:21and people get sick 30 years down the line.
0:24:24 > 0:24:30'Darren needs to locate this tip. Thankfully, he bumps into Charles Ray, the man who made the call.'
0:24:32 > 0:24:34DOG BARKS
0:24:35 > 0:24:41- The car door over there has been there for many, many weeks.- OK.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45- But this here I think is outrageous. - OK, let's have a look, then.
0:24:45 > 0:24:51'Charles is obviously upset, but whatever you do, don't do this at home.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:55- It's like a bombsite out here.- Be careful, I think that is asbestos.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00- Is that asbestos?- Yeah, that's asbestos, yeah. It is, mate.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04- Look at it.- Yeah. I wouldn't mess around with it too much if I was you.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- OK.- Well, I'm going to pass away one day.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11That is asbestos, though. I know I keep saying it, but be careful.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15'You tell him, Darren. It's dangerous stuff.'
0:25:16 > 0:25:22They have been dumped on here, fly-tippers, got to be local.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27- OK.- Because there's no way they've come up here in a van.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30They've been doing some refurbishments
0:25:30 > 0:25:35- in three of the places around here. - OK.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40And I would hate to go to someone, "They done it" and they never. That's not my game.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- Have you got any CCTV on these grounds?- On the grounds, no.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49It'll be a tricky one to find out who's done it. I don't want to move it around too much.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55'It's going to be a hard case to crack. With no witnesses or CCTV
0:25:55 > 0:25:59'and with all that asbestos, Darren can't look for clues.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02'But it's not stopping good old Charles.'
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I'm looking in there to see if there's any names on there.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11All I've found are bits of paper with no names or nothing.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16It's instruction manuals. Someone's put a new boiler in. That's what they've done.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21For the old boilers, they used to have asbestos chutes that used to go up, because it's fireproof.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Up here, at weekends, there's loads of children.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29- Loads and loads of children play up here.- Yeah.
0:26:29 > 0:26:35I'm an old man, I know. Two third of my life is gone.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- But to dump that where there's loads of children, you don't do that. - It's inconsiderate.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41That's what we're trying to fight.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'Bless his cotton socks. But Charles is right.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49'These dirty rotten fly-tippers have gone too far. Way too far.
0:26:50 > 0:26:57'But I hate to say it, every cloud does have a silver lining, and for Charles, it's scrap metal.'
0:26:59 > 0:27:04Here, I might have that for the scrap yard, that bit of copper.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07That might be my breakfast tomorrow, that bit of copper.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12- Do you know how much that is? - If you're going to recycle it, I don't see a problem with that.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- I will.- Yeah.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18If we cover this back up, and I'll get it taken away.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22'Charles has made himself a few quid from the scrap metal.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27'But for Darren, he's got to arrange for the council to specially dispose of the asbestos
0:27:27 > 0:27:30'which, of course, will be at the expense of the tendering taxpayer.'
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I reckon you've got a good breakfast there.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39How much, then? How much weight would you say that is?
0:27:39 > 0:27:44I reckon you've got about four quid, five quid.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52'Back in Hillingdon, Jan Carlo is the investigating officer
0:27:52 > 0:27:56'on one of the borough's biggest ever cases of fly-tipping.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00'Brothers Leslie and Leonard Price have been caught on CCTV
0:28:00 > 0:28:04'and on one occasion, they were even caught red-handed by the police.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12'The case being put together against the brothers also shows them dumping at another location.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15'Their target was a car park at a builders merchants.
0:28:17 > 0:28:23'It had been hit so many times before that CCTV cameras were put up to catch people in the act.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25'And guess what! It worked!'
0:28:26 > 0:28:31'Rick Betford is the supervisor here and it's an all-too-common sight for him.'
0:28:31 > 0:28:34A typical morning, you can drive in
0:28:34 > 0:28:37and as you approach it, you'll find that the whole parking space
0:28:37 > 0:28:40has been taken up by fly-tipped rubbish.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45It's a bit ironic, because we're a building and maintenance company,
0:28:45 > 0:28:50we have our own rubbish that we generate, and to think other people are out there and they drive down
0:28:50 > 0:28:54any quiet back road that they can find and just dump what they like.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00You have to have that sort of mentality where you don't really have much of a conscience
0:29:00 > 0:29:03and don't really care. As long as it's out of sight for them,
0:29:03 > 0:29:07they don't really worry about the impact on anybody else.
0:29:09 > 0:29:15'Jan Carlo now had three fly-tips on his patch that he knew the brothers were responsible for.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20'The evidence was clear, and just as he was about to put the case through the council's legal team,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22'there was some surprising news.
0:29:26 > 0:29:32'Ealing Council, a neighbouring borough, were also after the brothers on fly-tipping charges.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36'Today, he's on his way to Ealing Magistrates' Court.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40'Having already served a formal interview notice to Leonard Price,
0:29:40 > 0:29:42'today his brother Leslie is in court
0:29:42 > 0:29:46'and Jan Carlo plans to serve him with his.'
0:29:46 > 0:29:51He is a professional. He has been doing this, I understand, many, many times for the past six months.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58We hope that, after the court, I'll be able to speak to him.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03I'll have a letter ready to hand him inviting him for interview next week in Hillingdon
0:30:03 > 0:30:09where we hope we'll have an opportunity to interview him and clarify his role in these incidents.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12'Bill Hickson is Jan Carlo's boss
0:30:12 > 0:30:15'and is just as determined to catch the scoundrels.
0:30:15 > 0:30:21'Now, the brothers know what they're doing is illegal and Bill knows why they're doing it.'
0:30:21 > 0:30:26Crimes committed by hardened criminals are becoming harder to commit these days
0:30:26 > 0:30:31and therefore people are looking to carry out an offence where they can make money
0:30:31 > 0:30:36and it is going to be hard for people to track down who these people are.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40And that's why we're using all of our techniques to investigate,
0:30:40 > 0:30:44to find out who these people are and bring them to justice.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49'Hillingdon deals with nearly 2,000 fly-tips a year,
0:30:49 > 0:30:53'but the enforcement team are making good progress in tackling the issue.
0:30:53 > 0:31:00'Jan Carlo is now back from Ealing Magistrates' Court to bring Bill up to speed with how he got on.'
0:31:00 > 0:31:04The brother has pleaded not guilty to all 20 charges.
0:31:04 > 0:31:10- All 20?- He's been remanded in custody for the next four weeks.
0:31:10 > 0:31:15- So he is obviously being referred to Crown Court.- Did you have an opportunity to speak to him?
0:31:15 > 0:31:19He said that he was not very happy to be interviewed.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23He was not very polite to the police officer when he replied to the offer.
0:31:23 > 0:31:29But I don't think there'll be an opportunity because he'll be kept in custody now for the next four weeks.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32And then, from there, he's going to go on trial.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37So there's an opportunity for us now to catch up
0:31:37 > 0:31:41and do the case file and bring it forwards.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45'Ealing has a strong case against the brothers and so does Hillingdon,
0:31:45 > 0:31:50'especially with the CCTV footage and the police catching them in the act.
0:31:54 > 0:32:00'Jan Carlo and his colleagues are now ready to put the final pieces of their investigation together.
0:32:00 > 0:32:06'Attention to detail is key for these officers, who must make sure they've got a watertight case
0:32:06 > 0:32:08'if they're going to get a conviction.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13'Boss Bill Hickson knows how important it is that they get it right first time.'
0:32:14 > 0:32:19It's probably one of the largest-scale incidents that we're currently investigating
0:32:19 > 0:32:23and, indeed, have investigated for several years now.
0:32:23 > 0:32:29When we get these individuals into court, it is satisfying for all the officers that put the hard work in,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32but not only that, it's the residents of Hillingdon that can actually see
0:32:32 > 0:32:39the improvements that we're making, and when these incidents take place, appropriate action is being taken.
0:32:40 > 0:32:45'Everyone is hoping that everything they've got will bring these crooks down.'
0:32:45 > 0:32:49That is one of the elements that I know that our legal team will be pressing to judges,
0:32:49 > 0:32:55to actually look at the evidence and it really does give first-hand viewing of what has occurred.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57And, of course, pictures speak a thousand words.
0:32:57 > 0:33:02But it's really in the judge's hands how it's going to turn out.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06'Still to come, with everyone poised for the final court case,
0:33:06 > 0:33:11'will Hillingdon and Ealing Councils get the results they desperately want?'
0:33:11 > 0:33:14This is the best part of the job. You've got a conclusion,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17you've got to the end of the case from an investigative point of view
0:33:17 > 0:33:21and now it's up to our legal team to present the best case.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27'Back in Liverpool, it's a busy Monday for enforcement officer Martin.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30'He's already been to two tips that happened over the weekend
0:33:30 > 0:33:35'and is now on his way to another. And this one is big!'
0:33:35 > 0:33:38We're on our way to a place called Mann Street.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41It's just outside the city centre.
0:33:41 > 0:33:48Apparently, there's a large fly-tip in there, so we're going to have a look, see what we can find.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52As you can see, as close to the city centre as it is,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55it's really, really quiet and out of the way,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57so it's ideal for people to go and tip in.
0:33:57 > 0:34:05But, unfortunately for them, we know it's an area for them to tip in so we're on the case.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10So let's see what we can see.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14'Martin's been joined by his colleague Bill for this one.'
0:34:14 > 0:34:21- This is a nice, juicy one, isn't it? - I'd say this was roughly one, two, three, four, five separate tips.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25Potentially, it's the same person, five different tips.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30What we'll do now is carry out a search of the properties just here and see what we can find.
0:34:31 > 0:34:37'With every fly-tip, the boys need to find hard evidence that will lead them to the illegal dumpers.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41'But they always have a gut feeling about who's been up to no good.'
0:34:41 > 0:34:46This is definitely a house clearance.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49About three or four different drops.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55- I would suggest a van of some sort. - If it was a van, looking at the size of the road,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58they'd have to back onto there to get it out because of that lamppost,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02whereas a three and a half tonne just comes up, get dumped and away.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06- So sorry, Martin. - He says tom-ar-toe, I say tom-ay-toe.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09'Now stop bickering, boys.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12'Bill's got a few tricks up his sleeve.'
0:35:12 > 0:35:17One thing we will say about three-piece suites, although they think there's nothing in them...
0:35:21 > 0:35:25What we can do is just get a knife and cut the bottom
0:35:25 > 0:35:29and because it's come from a property, sometimes mail is put down the side
0:35:29 > 0:35:32and you can't deny that that was in that property.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37'But there's no need for a knife today, though, because Martin is already onto something.'
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Ah, here we go.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41We have a name and address.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Can you get us an evidence bag please, Bill? Thank you.
0:35:46 > 0:35:52So what I'll do now is I'll get my very expensive
0:35:52 > 0:35:55150-megapixel camera out
0:35:55 > 0:35:59and take a photograph of it.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04We're not accusing this guy, as yet, of doing it, or person.
0:36:04 > 0:36:11But what we'll do is we will write to this person and invite them to come in for an interview.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17And let us know why and how it got there or how they think it got here.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21The person named there is actually, I would assume,
0:36:21 > 0:36:25it's only an assumption, applying for a security licence.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30But unfortunately, if he gets done for fly-tipping, he's got no chance cos he'll get a criminal conviction.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33It's definitely a house clearance.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36As you can see, we've got baths, toilets, furniture.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41Mattresses. Builders' rubble.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45'But there's something else they've found that's even more alarming.'
0:36:45 > 0:36:52We've even got some sort of asbestos on one of them, so we'll contact the team that deals with that.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55It can kill you years on. So the people who are dumping it,
0:36:55 > 0:37:01not only are they trying to save a few quid, but they're risking their own lives and the lives of others.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05If they're taking that in a van, I wouldn't like to be in an enclosed space with asbestos.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09So good luck to them. I hope they don't get anything nasty.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13'But the asbestos isn't the only thing that Bill's spotted that could be dangerous.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17'If the carpet's set alight, it can be engulfed in flames very quickly.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21It's very toxic if it burns.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25It's right next to a brewery, there's businesses right next to it. If that goes on fire...
0:37:27 > 0:37:30You'd be amazed what people do actually throw away.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35This is complete. Name, address, bank account,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38the transactions that he's had recently.
0:37:38 > 0:37:45- So it tells us who he is, where he is, how much he's worth.- Yeah.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48And what his bank details are.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51I mean, that in the wrong hands is worth a fortune.
0:37:51 > 0:37:57'Martin and Bill are starting to build a picture of what they think might have been going on here.'
0:37:57 > 0:38:00The addresses may be different, but the materials are the same
0:38:00 > 0:38:04and they're dumped in the same area. So the assumption, and it's only an assumption,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07is that the same person has done all the dumping.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Obviously, we'll write to all these people named
0:38:10 > 0:38:13and see if they can help us distinguish that fact.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Because if it's the same person who's collecting from different addresses,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19the people where he's collecting from,
0:38:19 > 0:38:24there's a fair chance they're paying him to remove this stuff. They're doing it in good faith
0:38:24 > 0:38:30and he can't be bothered going down to the tip, he can't be bothered queuing up, whatever the reason is,
0:38:30 > 0:38:35he doesn't care that there's other people's details there. It's free.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39'The clean-up crews will be called out straight away,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41'especially to get rid of that asbestos.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45'Martin and Bill have got all the evidence they need from this dump
0:38:45 > 0:38:50'and with a maximum fine of £50,000 and five years in prison at stake,
0:38:50 > 0:38:56'they're hoping that one of the people they interview will lead them closer to the scoundrel dumper.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01'Back in Hillingdon, officers have been putting together
0:39:01 > 0:39:06'what they hope will be a strong case against two brothers, Leslie and Leonard Price.
0:39:08 > 0:39:13'It's alleged that they've been repeatedly fly-tipping across four London boroughs.'
0:39:13 > 0:39:17It's probably one of the largest-scale incidents that we're currently investigating
0:39:17 > 0:39:21and, indeed, have investigated for several years now.
0:39:21 > 0:39:27'There's a lot riding on this case, and finally the day everyone's been preparing for has arrived.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29'It's the day of the court case.'
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Yeah, this is the best part of the job. You've got a conclusion,
0:39:33 > 0:39:37the end of the case, certainly from the investigative point of view.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42And we can just come along to court now. We've done our bit
0:39:42 > 0:39:44in terms of obtaining all the evidence.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Now it's up to our legal team to present the best case.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55'Surely, with the amount of damning evidence they have, especially the CCTV,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58'this should be an open and shut case.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01'And it's not long before John is out with the news.'
0:40:02 > 0:40:06He pleaded guilty to all three charges
0:40:06 > 0:40:12and the court decided it would be better if they were all sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court
0:40:12 > 0:40:18at a date to be arranged in conjunction with about another half dozen offences
0:40:18 > 0:40:24that he's already admitted in Ealing, Richmond and Merton, I believe.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27I'm absolutely delighted. The evidence was so overwhelming
0:40:27 > 0:40:33that the one brother, Leonard, he had nothing other than to plead guilty,
0:40:33 > 0:40:40cos the evidence was so overwhelming. I would suspect you're looking at a very serious sentence.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42'It's a great result for the council enforcement teams
0:40:42 > 0:40:46'and for the people who live in the local area, too.'
0:40:46 > 0:40:48I think the general public, me included,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51tend to feel that these people just get away with it.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54We don't actually hear of anybody being prosecuted.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56So if they have been caught, I guess it's good.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00They shouldn't have done it and maybe the publicity will deter other people.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06'June 2010, and brothers Leslie and Leonard Price have now been sentenced for their crimes.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11'Bill Hickson, the boss of Hillingdon enviro enforcers, has the news.'
0:41:12 > 0:41:16The sentencing was very severe
0:41:16 > 0:41:19and was in line with the offences they had committed.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23One of the brothers received a 12-month jail sentence
0:41:23 > 0:41:28for each of the cases that he had been involved in,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31plus he was awarded an Anti-Social Behaviour Order
0:41:31 > 0:41:35which restricts him, for five years, carrying out waste operations.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38The other brother concerned
0:41:38 > 0:41:43was awarded 200 hours community service, which will be completed within the next two years.
0:41:43 > 0:41:49It just goes to show that the courts are taking environmental crime very seriously.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53It's not acceptable. There's massive harm done
0:41:53 > 0:41:59to the local environment, and not only that, it's the cost of the clearance
0:41:59 > 0:42:06that could clearly be spent on other activities that the local authority could put into the community.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09The sentences do show a very strong message
0:42:09 > 0:42:12that environmental crime is not acceptable
0:42:12 > 0:42:16and local authorities will do everything that they possibly can
0:42:16 > 0:42:22to find offenders and take appropriate action against those offenders.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26'In the Liverpool fly-tipping case where Martin found the betting slip,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29'they spoke to the person whose name and phone number they found,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32'but they weren't linked to the dump.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35'In the case with the pink bed frame and smashed TV,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38'Martin and Will are still following up on leads.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41'And as for the multiple dumps just outside the town centre,
0:42:41 > 0:42:45'Martin and Bill are still investigating.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49'Every day on our behalf right across the UK,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53'officers are trying to make our country a greener, cleaner place to live.
0:42:53 > 0:42:59'Join us next time when we'll be exposing more Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.'
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:05 > 0:43:09E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk