0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to the fight to clean up our streets
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and put the "Great" back into Great Britain.
0:00:06 > 0:00:11Our stance is always to make sure the vehicle is crushed.
0:00:12 > 0:00:18Every 30 seconds, someone somewhere in the UK illegally dumps rubbish.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21From bags of dogs' mess to mountains of rubble,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24it's wrecking the streets where we live.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27On today's programme, can intrepid enviro-enforcers
0:00:27 > 0:00:31nip one of Britain's filthiest habits in the bud?
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I want to speak to you about the cigarette litter you dropped.
0:00:34 > 0:00:39In Middlesbrough, an industrial estate is plagued with fly-tipping.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42You might turn this over and there's an address on it.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And in London, a community is maddened
0:00:45 > 0:00:48by graffiti taggers ruining their neighbourhood.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Once we paint over them, they go back and tag again and again and again.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56This is the fight against Britain's filthy rotten scoundrels.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Brent, north-west London,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21a borough where graffiti taggers are seemingly intent
0:01:21 > 0:01:24on covering every spare surface.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Graffiti prevention and clean-up costs this one London borough
0:01:29 > 0:01:32a whopping £450,000 a year.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36It's clearly a massive problem
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and one Brent Council takes very seriously.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40They work closely with the community
0:01:40 > 0:01:43to put a stop to the tagging nightmare.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50And a pristine white wall on a north-west London housing estate
0:01:50 > 0:01:52is the latest front line.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54It looks innocent enough,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57but this wall has been the subject of a bitter battle
0:01:57 > 0:02:00between frustrated residents and cocky graffiti artists.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05For months, taggers repeatedly sprayed their tags.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Brent council would paint over them,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11only for the underground artwork to appear again the next day.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13It was relentless.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Life, for neighbour Brendan Malligan, became unbearable.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23I've lived in the area for 40 years, and I'm very proud of the area.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26When somebody can come along
0:02:26 > 0:02:30and start leaving their tag on people's walls,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32it's just not acceptable.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I wouldn't do it to their property and don't want it done to mine.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39This is the famous wall.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41As you can see, originally it was brickwork,
0:02:41 > 0:02:47and then they started painting white paint to get rid of the tags.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50As you can see, it's all bubbling now
0:02:50 > 0:02:53from the amount of times they've painted and painted and painted.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56And the taggers didn't stop there.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58If you just turn around here again,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02there's another door here where there's more tagging which was done.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05I actually tried painting myself,
0:03:05 > 0:03:10and, erm, it's quite difficult to actually get it off.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13This one is "J" again.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16As you can see, it's ruined the gate,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19and there's some people down the road who've had tags on their houses.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23They've given up painting over them, because once they paint over them,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25they go back and tag again and again
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and this is what's been happening here.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31I don't know how much Brent council has spent keeping that wall clean,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34but if it was a private property,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38how much time and energy and paint do you have to go through
0:03:38 > 0:03:39to keep your properties clean?
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Brendan's right. The amount of money involved is no joke.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47This area was being hit on average twice a week,
0:03:47 > 0:03:52which cost Brent Council and locals £100 a time to clear up.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55But if you scale that up to the whole of London,
0:03:55 > 0:03:56the result is staggering.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Graffiti costs the capital's economy a huge £100 million a year.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06The person responsible for tracking down
0:04:06 > 0:04:09and dealing with graffiti taggers in Brent Council
0:04:09 > 0:04:13is Simon Edbar - not an easy job when they can strike repeatedly
0:04:13 > 0:04:15at any time of the day or night.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19He worked hand-in-hand with Brendan Malligan
0:04:19 > 0:04:22to nail the rotters ruining the white wall.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I think the general picture I got was most of the residents
0:04:26 > 0:04:33were disappointed that a gang of youths were, in a sense,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36taking ownership of where they lived, defacing the wall,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40feeling they were untouchable, feeling that nothing could be done.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45There were reports of the wall being hit 20 minutes after it had been cleaned,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48so it was quite clear to us that this gang of youths were watching us
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and were taunting us.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57The war of tagged words continued non-stop, and it soon became evident
0:04:57 > 0:05:00that specific taggers were mounting a personal vendetta
0:05:00 > 0:05:03with a special message aimed at the council.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05It says, "Focus,"
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and one of the perpetrators uses the tag Sour, so he's trying to tell
0:05:08 > 0:05:11the council or tell whoever's monitoring this
0:05:11 > 0:05:13that "I'm sour, you need to focus,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16"you're not focusing. You clean this off, it comes back on."
0:05:16 > 0:05:18"Oops I did it again"
0:05:18 > 0:05:21because this has obviously been cleaned a few times.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23They're of the impression that they're untouchable.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26It was a constant fight between the taggers and the council
0:05:26 > 0:05:28to keep the white wall clean,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31but then the conflict escalated even further.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Yeah, I got up one morning,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35was going out to work.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39First thing I seen on the white wall was this particular tag -
0:05:39 > 0:05:40they were back again,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44and that was after four days of the council cleaning it off.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48As I walked past this wall, I then turned round
0:05:48 > 0:05:53and to my disgust actually found they had done a tag
0:05:53 > 0:05:56on the opposite side, as well, which was on my property.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00And that was like putting a red rag to a bull. I was furious.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Brendan had had enough.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07He mobilised neighbours, and together, they lobbied the council
0:06:07 > 0:06:09to install CCTV surveillance.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Brent Council and the police joined forces and installed covert cameras.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18I think we decided to go for CCTV once it was apparent
0:06:18 > 0:06:22that the site was persistently hit.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24It was something we felt we needed to do.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27So the surveillance went in roughly a year and a half ago,
0:06:27 > 0:06:33and we were quite fortunate and we got someone on camera within a week.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36The writing was on the wall for these graffitists.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39The night-time taggers were caught on camera.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44As you can see, most of the hits were in the night-time.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47There's clear images on the clothing of the individuals.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51I think the quality of the evidence was the success of the operation,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53because we were able to take that forward
0:06:53 > 0:06:57and engage the local police to actually apprehend these guys,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59and they were apprehended quite quickly.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02The offenders received a variety of punishments,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05from fines to community work,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09along with agreeing to acceptable behaviour agreements.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13What's an important point is not only have we identified these guys,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16but we also looked at the history of offending, and we were able to
0:07:16 > 0:07:20have different and proportionate measures for individuals concerned.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25The help and support of communities to tackle issues like graffiti
0:07:25 > 0:07:28is worth its weight in gold for enviro-enforcers.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33For Simon, working with people like Brendan can only be a good thing.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37I think Brendan is the type of resident that we like to work with.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41He was happy to give us intel on the ground.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44He lived a few doors away from the site.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47He was able to focus us as to when these guys were graffiting the site
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and how frequently it was happening.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53I think Brendan actually played an important part in the operation.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00Between the council and myself and my neighbours, we've tackled it
0:08:00 > 0:08:04and we've got rid of what was a problem. It's no longer a problem.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08I think it's important that everybody looks after their areas
0:08:08 > 0:08:13and take pride in their areas and if they see tags like this, report it.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I'd say that's a great case of community spirit,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18and now that the word's got around,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22there's been no more writing on the white wall.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25But as they say, watch this space.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27And I really do hope it's going to be clear,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31because I don't feel like getting any more frustration.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I've got to watch my blood pressure!
0:08:41 > 0:08:44It costs £370 million a year
0:08:44 > 0:08:47for councils to clear the litter we drop on our streets,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and more than 70% of that is cigarette butts.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56It's estimated that 122 tonnes of ciggies -
0:08:56 > 0:09:00the equivalent to more than 15 double-decker buses -
0:09:00 > 0:09:02are stubbed out on our streets every day.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07So it's no surprise that councils across the country
0:09:07 > 0:09:09are doing something about it.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Many have enforcement officers out on the streets,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15just like here, in Islington, North London.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19It's not the most popular job in the world,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22but officers like Denzel here are seeing a change.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27This is one of the areas that has a problem with cigarette litter.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29There are bins provided on the walls,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33signage has been put in place as well,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36and we just normally check it just to see if it's clean.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38And as you can see, it's quite clean.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43But there are always a few people that have yet to learn the error of their ways.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Excuse me, gentlemen?
0:09:46 > 0:09:48- Excuse me, gents?- Hello.- Excuse me?
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Can I have a word, please? My name is Denzel.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53I'm an enforcement officer for Islington Council.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57I wanted to speak to you about the cigarette litter you dropped.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58- Fair enough.- OK, then.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02It's a criminal offence for anyone to drop or deposit litter and leave it.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07- Fair enough.- In Islington, it carries a fixed-penalty notice charge for that offence.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Which will be given to you today.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Have you got any identification on you, sir?
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- And yourself, sir. - That's all I've got.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Denzel has to be careful, because, would you believe it,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20some people even give him a false name and address!
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Is there any other way you can verify this address?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I can give you some documentation about this address.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Have you got that documentation on you?
0:10:27 > 0:10:32But it seems these guys have taken the rap.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- In future, please...- I ain't going to do it again.- All right.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36MAN LAUGHS
0:10:36 > 0:10:38- I ain't going to do it again! - All right.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Denzel is keen that he's not just there to apprehend the culprits.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I think you have to continue that education.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49You have to make people aware that littering is not acceptable
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and they need to use the bins. They are provided.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56I could understand if there weren't any bins around,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59but there are bins around, and a bit of responsibility
0:10:59 > 0:11:03from people who are not just smoking but eating fast food,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06just take care of the litter, make sure you put it in a bin.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Fines for dropping cigarette butts range from £50 to £80,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12depending on where you live.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16The system is working right across the country, including Liverpool,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20which is enforcement officer Sean's home patch.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24If you were in the city 18 months to two years ago,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26the streets were absolutely disgusting.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30People just didn't think to use the bins that were provided,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34and they would just throw litter anywhere and everywhere
0:11:34 > 0:11:35and wouldn't care about it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39For Sean, the drive to clean up the city
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and get people to take responsibility for their rubbish,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46even something as small as a cigarette butt, is personal.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50I suppose you get the sense of satisfaction from the work that we carry out.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53I live within this city as well as work within the city,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56so to sort of be a part of what it is that we do
0:11:56 > 0:12:02that makes it a clean, safer place for people to live within and visit,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05you do get a sense of satisfaction.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It seems that Liverpool is beginning to benefit from the work
0:12:09 > 0:12:12that he and fellow enviro-enforcers are doing.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17I think within the city centre, our impact has been huge.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20And obviously, from walking round the city centre, it's spotless
0:12:20 > 0:12:23in comparison to what it was, and you will see people
0:12:23 > 0:12:27actively seeking to find a bin in which to put their cigarette or their piece of litter.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Coming up on Filthy Rotten Scoundrels: in Liverpool,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35our determined enviro-enforcers are back on the streets
0:12:35 > 0:12:38on the trail of their own careless litter bugs.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40She's walking along with her friend,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43chatting and she's just thrown it on the floor. She's not realised
0:12:43 > 0:12:46she's committed an offence. That's what we're there to do.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50And some of the offenders' actions have to be seen to be believed.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Clearly, no excuse. As I pointed out to them,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56there's a bin just here and a bin behind the tree just here.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59It's a little bit of ignorance. It's laziness, really.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12It's a cold and windy day in the district of Tendring
0:13:12 > 0:13:13on the East Essex coast.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20But that hasn't deterred the council's enviro-enforcer Darren Weaver.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25He's on the hunt for fly-tippers desecrating this rolling, green countryside.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Fly-tipping in countryside locations is notoriously hard to investigate,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32because there are usually no witnesses.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35But this 30-year-old former police detective
0:13:35 > 0:13:37has been specially recruited.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Tendring Council is hoping his skills can help resolve some of them.
0:13:43 > 0:13:49He's just had a report of another fly-tip. This one's on farmland.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Apparently, someone's dumped fridge doors in Colchester.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55It's unusual to have a fridge door without a fridge attached.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Who would dump fridge doors?
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Darren's reached his destination.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06But there's not a fridge door in sight,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09although, amongst other things, there's a washing machine.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Looks like something might have been lost in translation here.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Either way, it's a mess that needs investigating.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20At first sight, though,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24this looks like the many hundreds of fly-tips Darren is confronted with,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26a fly-tip with no clues.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29But Darren's not one to give up that easily.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34This is what you call a typical fly-tip.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Typical it might be, and I'd say a pretty dangerous one, as well.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44This wire, that's razor sharp.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46That is razor sharp.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49That'll go through clothes, that'll go through an animal's leg.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51They're like little needles.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's really sharp where it's been cut and pulled apart.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58This wire is what's left of the innards of the washing machine.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01It would have been surrounded by copper casing
0:15:01 > 0:15:04that's been stripped off and, no doubt, sold on.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06The value of scrap copper is so high
0:15:06 > 0:15:10that people are stealing copper from wherever they can,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14in order to sell it in the scrap yards and metal dealers and things like that.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18It might not be the case with this one, but it looks like it from here.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22This razor-sharp wire isn't the only hazard here.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25There's a lot that could damage the environment, too.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28You've got the plastic that gets blown around
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and goes into trees and on birds' nests and things.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33It's quite inconsiderate, really.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Sadly, it's an all-too-familiar scene to Darren,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40especially in quiet country lanes,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42where there's no CCTV
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and no-one to see the perpetrators commit their dirty deeds.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48When I turn up at things like this,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51it is normally a great big mish-mash of stuff,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53but it's probably the back of someone's van,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and it's stuff that's accumulated. They do a job,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59or they've nicked loads of copper or done some electrical work,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02and they've got leftover plastic and wires.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09Darren's already got his own suspicions about how this lot has ended up here.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11They've done their mate a favour round the corner
0:16:11 > 0:16:13or done someone a favour for a tenner,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16got rid of their old washing machine.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18And then you've got things like...
0:16:20 > 0:16:22That's builder's rubble in there.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28His CID training and experience comes in handy
0:16:28 > 0:16:31when he faces this type of difficult investigation.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34He's always determined to find something to move things forward,
0:16:34 > 0:16:39and it usually comes from sifting through the piles of junk.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44When I arrive on a site, I try to find anything I can
0:16:44 > 0:16:47to link it to anything, to a shop, a particular person,
0:16:47 > 0:16:52an address, something that gives me a lead to follow.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56He's looking for a letter with a name or address on it
0:16:56 > 0:17:00or a piece of documentation that will allow him to put a trace in action.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Sometimes on this sort of stuff,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06there might be a stripping label on it or something.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Darren's tenacity has paid off.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15He's found a possible lead to the owner of the washing machine.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20A lot of times when you buy an appliance, you get a manufacturer's guarantee,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24and if I contact the manufacturers and give them some of these numbers,
0:17:24 > 0:17:29they might be able to tell me who owned it.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30I can go round the person's house and go,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32"What happened to your washing machine?"
0:17:32 > 0:17:35And they go, "Jack round the corner got rid of it for me."
0:17:35 > 0:17:38I go to Jack and he'll go, "I dumped it." Simple as that.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39You can trace people that way.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42But that's quite a good little bit of evidence there.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47It's a long shot, but there might just be a way
0:17:47 > 0:17:51of tracing the former owner of the washing machine from that.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55No wonder Tendring Council snapped up this keen law enforcer.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59But it's not just the scoundrel that Darren's concerned about.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02There's the owner of the land to think about, too.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05This is a way that this farmer comes on and off his land.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08You can see the whole point of this,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10the whole reason why this is a turn off the road.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13And you can see all these tractor marks.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16This is how he gets on and off, and that -
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I'm not sure how big his tractor is -
0:18:18 > 0:18:20that might even block him getting on.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23It's over the track, so I'm guessing it probably will.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27So I'll get that cleared later on today.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Tomorrow morning, that'll be gone,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33so it won't be an inconvenience to the farmer, just to the council.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35And again - and I keep saying it -
0:18:35 > 0:18:38it's another cost to the council-tax payers,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42cos this money for clearing it comes out of their budget, their money.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48It costs the council £40,000 a year to clear fly-tipping,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50and that's set to rise dramatically
0:18:50 > 0:18:54if action isn't taken to deal with the filthy rotten scoundrels.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58So now Darren's been through the site with a fine-toothed comb,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01he heads back to HQ to carry on with his investigation.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Still to come on Filthy Rotten Scoundrels:
0:19:06 > 0:19:09will the washing-machine warranty lead
0:19:09 > 0:19:11bring Darren closer to the fly-tipper?
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Basically, it's a bit of countryside and they've dumped
0:19:14 > 0:19:18loads of stuff there, including this washing machine.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Yeah, but they shouldn't dump it in a field!
0:19:24 > 0:19:27And can Darren's actions preserve the Tendring countryside
0:19:27 > 0:19:29from environmental yobs?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32We don't want people dumping things on the side of the road,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35and I hope people can see that we are really, really looking
0:19:35 > 0:19:38into every single line we can.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Middlesbrough, sat on the south bank of the River Tees
0:19:49 > 0:19:51in the heart of England's north-east.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00This is a city with a strong industrial heritage,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03but in some areas, economic deprivation
0:20:03 > 0:20:06has seen businesses fold and drift away.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09The residents and companies that are left
0:20:09 > 0:20:12face becoming the victims of serial fly-tippers,
0:20:12 > 0:20:17as unscrupulous dumpers take advantage to secretly offload their waste.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23Enviro-enforcer Phil Armitage is dealing with just such an incident.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25He's heading to the centre of the city
0:20:25 > 0:20:28following a tip-off that a load of rubbish has been dumped
0:20:28 > 0:20:30on some wasteland next to an industrial estate.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35This area's largely industrial,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39so pretty much, on an evening, it's deserted,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and this is why the fly-tippers tend to use this area.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45It's out of sight, out of mind.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47A lot of these buildings have back alleys to them,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and they can just drive from one end to the other
0:20:50 > 0:20:51virtually unseen,
0:20:51 > 0:20:57so hence we get a lot of waste dumped behind these kind of places.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01And there's not that many CCTV cameras in the area either,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04unlike the town centre.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07So with all that, it makes detection that bit harder.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Towns and cities all over Britain face similar problems
0:21:14 > 0:21:18with depressed areas that are incredibly difficult to police.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22It comes down to Phil and fellow enviro-enforcer Lee Hooker
0:21:22 > 0:21:25to react to tip-offs from alert members of the public.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33They aim to investigate fly-tips as thoroughly as possible for any clues
0:21:33 > 0:21:35that might lead them to the perpetrator.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39As enforcers, we're looking for evidence,
0:21:39 > 0:21:45nearby businesses, nearby witnesses, anything that can help us.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49It's a painstaking and, frankly, unpleasant job
0:21:49 > 0:21:52sifting through piles of other people's rubbish,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55but it's the only way these guys can hope to find evidence
0:21:55 > 0:21:57to catch the fly-tippers.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Quite often, you'll get delivery addresses on boxes and packaging.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04So it's probably someone...
0:22:04 > 0:22:06There's a bag of cement there, a bag of plaster,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09so I suspect it's someone having work done at a property
0:22:09 > 0:22:13and this is what's left, or they're doing a property up.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Once the lads have combed the site for clues,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18the waste will have to be removed
0:22:18 > 0:22:21before some other idiot gets the same idea and adds to the pile.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26And because it's council land,
0:22:26 > 0:22:31then we'll end up having to clear it up, or the council'll have to
0:22:31 > 0:22:35employ someone to clear it up at the council's cost.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38Lee's hit the nail on the head.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42It costs Middlesbrough Council alone over £200,000 a year
0:22:42 > 0:22:44to clear up fly-tips.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Countrywide, that figure escalates
0:22:46 > 0:22:51to an astonishing £74 million of taxpayers' money.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Filthy rotten scoundrels are costing us all a packet.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58As the search for evidence continues,
0:22:58 > 0:23:03it seems that Phil and Lee are actually standing on the largest clue.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08These are, like, industrial-unit sliding doors, I think.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10You've got a letterbox there.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13So they've probably come off a commercial premises.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18The plot thickens. This is an industrial estate.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Perhaps the doors belong to a local business.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Has someone been dumping on their own doorstep?
0:23:25 > 0:23:29We're looking for minute evidence first, but you might turn this over
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and there's an address on it. You know?
0:23:34 > 0:23:36- Letting go, yeah?- Yeah.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39So now we're looking for somewhere that's had gates took off.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44Phil and Lee carry on searching in the hope of finding more clues,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and their determination is soon rewarded.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49With a bit of luck, there might be a number on here, Lee.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53What does that say? RSS?
0:23:53 > 0:23:56It says on there the initials RSS,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59which could be the name of a business.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Obviously, when we get back to the office,
0:24:03 > 0:24:08we'll probably Google that or check our own databases,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11and it may be somebody's initials,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13or it probably just stands for a company name.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20For Phil, it's just another example of a familiar old story.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22From the weight of those doors,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I would suspect they haven't come very far.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27And to get them on a truck, you'd need a biggish truck,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30cos they'd be overhanging the sides.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32So they've probably thought,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36"Well, who's going to know? Who's going to bother checking round here?"
0:24:36 > 0:24:38But we do.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Phil and Lee really need some witnesses to the fly-tip
0:24:42 > 0:24:45to back up their theory, but this place is deserted.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50Even Boro's oldest pub has long since called time on last orders.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52It's very frustrating.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55If only they were still serving pints at the Middlehaven,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59a punter might have seen something and given them a break.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Phil and Lee decide to search the surrounding streets
0:25:05 > 0:25:09for any clues - or indeed anyone - that might have seen anything.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14And it's quickly becoming clear that the whole area is littered with waste.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Fly-tippers have been taking full advantage
0:25:17 > 0:25:19of the deserted night-time streets.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22It's a classic case of rubbish breeding rubbish.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Nah, it's full of rubble, mate.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44I think what's probably happened is the pub's shut down,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48somebody's probably just come along, seen their commercial waste bin
0:25:48 > 0:25:51and just thought, "Oh, we'll fill it full of whatever,"
0:25:51 > 0:25:55cos you can't lift that up, it's full of rubble, again -
0:25:55 > 0:25:59cement and building-type waste,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02which is synonymous with the stuff round the front.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06What started as one fly-tip has engulfed the area.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09The guys need to get some serious help here
0:26:09 > 0:26:12if they're to stop this rubbish mountain escalating any further.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Technology might be the answer.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19Just a few streets away,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24a colleague of theirs has been using it to tackle a similar problem.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Fed up with the huge amounts of waste being fly-tipped
0:26:28 > 0:26:29in an area earmarked for regeneration,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33enviro-enforcer Laura Mowbray installed CCTV,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35with startling results.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40CCTV allows us to catch people red-handed.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Obviously, we have to identify those people and we have to go through ways
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and means to get their identities,
0:26:45 > 0:26:51but when we can get registration plate numbers and that type of thing,
0:26:51 > 0:26:52it all helps us.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Lo and behold, as soon as the CCTV camera was put up,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59it started paying dividends.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02It had caught two fly-tippers blatantly chucking their rubbish
0:27:02 > 0:27:04on the street in broad daylight.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13The vehicle pulled up here, turned around, two males got out,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16opened up the vehicle and started to deposit waste.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21One deposited it in that direction...
0:27:23 > 0:27:26..and another in this direction here.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30These two emptied a van full of building and commercial waste
0:27:30 > 0:27:33and scattered it left, right and centre across a broad area.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38Laura is still finding evidence, despite a clean-up by the council.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43There is actually some waste still present,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45some breeze blocks in that direction,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48and broken-up bricks in that direction,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51and I think that's just because of the way that they dumped the waste.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55They just threw it anywhere. It wasn't in any organised fashion,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59it was just literally deposited wherever they wanted to leave it.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05The CCTV camera has proved invaluable to Laura and her team
0:28:05 > 0:28:09and made a real difference for local residents.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12The CCTV camera's just over there on the lamppost.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16We did find there was an improvement in fly-tipping in this area.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20It's acted as a deterrent. We haven't seen many people fly-tip recently.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23That might be because people don't want to be caught.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26When the two men -
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Craig Blackburn and Peter McGuinness - were questioned,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33their excuse for fly-tipping had to be heard to be believed.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36The reason they gave for dumping the waste in that manner
0:28:36 > 0:28:41was that it was outside of the front of Mr Blackburn's father's house
0:28:41 > 0:28:44and he was having difficulty getting his car out,
0:28:44 > 0:28:49so they decided to move it from that location to this location, or so they said.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53So instead of calling the council and getting the fly-tip removed
0:28:53 > 0:28:55from in front of their house,
0:28:55 > 0:28:58they just went and dumped it in front of someone else's instead.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Charming(!)
0:29:00 > 0:29:04They both said in the interview that two wrongs don't make a right
0:29:04 > 0:29:07and they shouldn't have been dumping the waste
0:29:07 > 0:29:09in that manner or in this location. It is illegal,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12and they do not have permission to deposit waste in that manner.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17Craig Blackburn and Peter McGuinness were prosecuted for fly-tipping
0:29:17 > 0:29:18and pleaded guilty.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20They were each fined nearly £1,000,
0:29:20 > 0:29:24including the cost of cleaning up the filthy mess they'd left behind.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27They've been fined in court, got quite a hefty fine,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30and hopefully that will prevent them from doing that again.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Laura feels passionately that although the fly-tipped area
0:29:36 > 0:29:42was quite neglected, the council should still take a zero-tolerance approach.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46This is quite a run-down area,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48but when you add fly-tipping into the mix as well,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51it just makes it really unsightly.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53This area's been targeted for regeneration,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56and if there's issues such as fly-tipping,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58then it's going to be quite hard
0:29:58 > 0:30:01to build new houses and bring new people into the area.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Phil and Lee follow Laura's example
0:30:08 > 0:30:11and call on the assistance of the surveillance cameras.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13We're going to check the CCTV system.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15It went up just before the bank holiday,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17specifically for fly-tipping.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21But will it help trace the people that dumped this lot,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24and will it reduce fly-tipping in the area full stop?
0:30:29 > 0:30:32In Liverpool, a devoted-team of enviro-enforcers
0:30:32 > 0:30:35are on the streets five days a week, 52 weeks a year
0:30:35 > 0:30:39to try and bring a halt to some of the less savoury habits
0:30:39 > 0:30:41we British indulge in.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Today, Sean Tully and his colleague Brian
0:30:45 > 0:30:47are following Islington's footsteps
0:30:47 > 0:30:51and cracking down on smokers who carelessly drop butts on the street.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54And Brian has spotted something.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00There's a woman just put a cigarette onto the floor
0:31:00 > 0:31:03and stood on it before entering a shop.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05I'll have a word with her when she leaves the building.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08These boys have to have patience.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11They wait...
0:31:11 > 0:31:12and wait...
0:31:12 > 0:31:15..and wait.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18- Is that her, white blouse, coming out now?- Yeah, that's her.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21The guys make their move.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Excuse me? Hiya. You all right?
0:31:28 > 0:31:31Just have a little word with you across the way here?
0:31:31 > 0:31:33What have I done?
0:31:33 > 0:31:36I'll just explain it to you. As you were going into Superdrug,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39a few minutes before you came back out,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- you dropped a cigarette on the floor.- When?
0:31:41 > 0:31:43As you were entering. A white cigarette.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46- Are you aware that was an offence? - No.- You wasn't?- No.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Unfortunately, it is an offence.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51She's walking along with her friend, she's chatting
0:31:51 > 0:31:53and just thrown it onto the floor.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57She's not realised she's committed an offence. That's what we're there for,
0:31:57 > 0:32:01to tell her it is an offence, and enforce a fixed-penalty notice.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05So I've taken her details, and she will be reported for that offence.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Believe it or not, it comes as a surprise to some people
0:32:07 > 0:32:10that dropping cigarette ends is an offence
0:32:10 > 0:32:14and that it carries a hefty fine of £75 here in Liverpool.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Within the area that you're in at the moment,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20you'll see that there's bins dotted every 10-to-15 paces,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23and every one of them has an ashtray on top.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26All we ask is that you take that extra second to have a look.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29OK? Thanks for your time. Bye-bye.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31I don't think there is an excuse any more for people
0:32:31 > 0:32:34who throw litter on the floor or allow their dogs to foul.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38The campaigns that we run are high-impact campaigns,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40and people are aware of them.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42But it looks like there's one man
0:32:42 > 0:32:45who hasn't seen any of those campaigns.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49A gentleman over the road here, outside the property.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Not sure whether he's the owner or not,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56but I've just seen him flick his cigarette into the road.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58We're going to go and have a word
0:32:58 > 0:33:02and see what, er, his reasons are for it.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Sean and Brian are certainly eagle-eyed.
0:33:06 > 0:33:11There's a very busy dual carriageway between them and the culprit.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15The male who Brian's witnessed throwing a cigarette onto the floor
0:33:15 > 0:33:17has now gone back inside the property,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19so we're just going to give him a knock
0:33:19 > 0:33:22and we'll speak with him about the offence.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29It's the second catch of the day, and, although shocked,
0:33:29 > 0:33:33the man admits what he did and is issued with a fixed-penalty notice.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37This can lead to a formal caution or a £75 fine.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39That's one very expensive habit.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44And Sean and Brian haven't finished yet.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48Next on their hit-list is a local park, and it doesn't take them long
0:33:48 > 0:33:51before careful surveillance throws up another offender.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53I suspect that he's probably going to
0:33:53 > 0:33:56throw the cigarette onto the floor or the grass.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00I mean, he's just been stood next to...
0:34:00 > 0:34:03He has actually dropped the cigarette onto the floor.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06He's just done it, so we'll get out
0:34:06 > 0:34:08and go and engage with him and see what he says.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15This bloke's just stubbed his cigarette out on the floor
0:34:15 > 0:34:17despite being right next to a bin.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19All right, sir? You OK?
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Just a quick word, please.
0:34:22 > 0:34:28Just been sat in me vehicle and observed you were smoking a cigarette
0:34:28 > 0:34:30and you've thrown your cigarette down onto the grass,
0:34:30 > 0:34:34even though there was a bin literally just five feet behind
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- where you were stood just here. - I didn't realise.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39It is actually an offence.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43I'm required to take some details from you to report you for it.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47- Do you have any identification on you at all?- No.- You don't.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Was you aware that it's an offence?
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Well, I wasn't aware I was doing it.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55You was aware that you were having a cigarette, though?
0:34:55 > 0:34:56- Yeah.- All right, OK.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02I'll produce a statement, which I'll send to Liverpool City Council's legal services department,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05and they'll do one of two things - either send you a fixed-penalty notice
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- or they'll send you a letter of caution, OK?- OK.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11what I would ask is that when you are obviously in the city centre
0:35:11 > 0:35:13or in the parks, that you use the bins.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- Well, I normally put it in my pocket.- Right, OK.
0:35:16 > 0:35:17But on this occasion,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20you were literally stood five feet away from the bin,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24to which you could have deposited it and disposed of it.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27OK? So just be a bit more cautious of the fact that you are in a park.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29- OK.- OK? Thanks for your time.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34Pleased with the day's work, Sean is nonetheless determined
0:35:34 > 0:35:38to keep on educating the public and nipping their bad habits in the bud.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Clearly no excuse. As I pointed out to him,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43there's a bin just here, and a bin again behind the tree just here.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47It's a little bit of ignorance. It's laziness, really.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55In coastal Essex, Tendring Council has been struggling
0:35:55 > 0:35:57with an upsurge in illegal fly-tipping,
0:35:57 > 0:36:01so they've appointed former police detective Darren Weaver
0:36:01 > 0:36:05to improve the situation and prosecute these filthy rotten scoundrels.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11With an average of 75 illegal dumps reported every fortnight,
0:36:11 > 0:36:13he's certainly got his work cut out.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15His latest case is a tough one.
0:36:15 > 0:36:20A washing machine, together with other rubbish, has been dumped at the entrance to a farmer's field.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Now back at his office, Darren is trying to track down the owner of
0:36:26 > 0:36:32that dumped washing machine, and he doesn't accept any excuses for this kind of behaviour.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36We're all responsible for what happens to our waste.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41If you have your waste collected, you need to know that the person who's collecting it is licensed
0:36:41 > 0:36:44and you need to have proof on paperwork.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46A duty of care certificate should be given to you
0:36:46 > 0:36:51saying that your waste has been taken away by a proper company and a description of the waste.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55If people make out, "It ain't my fault, they took it and they dumped it," well,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57it kind of is, really.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00My sentiments exactly, Darren.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Whilst at the fly-tip, Darren had a stroke of luck.
0:37:04 > 0:37:10He managed to prise a service label with a serial number from the washing machine, and he's hoping
0:37:10 > 0:37:13the manufacturer might have a record of the owner's details.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Right, "Contact us by phone".
0:37:21 > 0:37:27084... Hello. I've got the sticker right in front of me.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Right, it's a rectangular sticker.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33It's got "Service" on the top left-hand corner, and it's got a barcode with a number above it.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38I don't know. If I tell you the numbers, you might be able to tell me what they relate to.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42Right, it says "Service," and then the first number's 8592.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45OK, and the number underneath it?
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Sadly, it looks like it might be a dead end for Darren.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52The serial number means nothing at all to the call-centre operator.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57OK, what about there's a sticker that says "Factory use", the 9483 number?
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Still no go. But Darren's not giving up that easily.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Is there any way to trace these washing machines back, then? Do you need a full postcode,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10or could you search on an area and give a list of different washing machines in that area?
0:38:10 > 0:38:11Oh, no...
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Have you got their number?
0:38:13 > 0:38:16I am.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19OK. Thank you very much.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20Bye. Bye.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Right, that's not good.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27They've said whoever had this washing machine has never registered it for a warranty.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30What I'm going to do anyway, I've now got the number direct for
0:38:30 > 0:38:34who the washing machine was made by, and they might be able to find another way of helping me.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38Cases like this are notoriously difficult to investigate and resolve,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41but Darren is like a dog with a bone.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43He's straight onto the phone again.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47Could this finally throw up a lead to the elusive washing-machine owner?
0:38:47 > 0:38:51Basically, it's like a bit of countryside, and they've dumped
0:38:51 > 0:38:54loads of stuff there, including this washing machine, so...
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Yeah, but they shouldn't dump it in a field!
0:39:02 > 0:39:06Despite all Darren's best efforts, he just can't get any further with this investigation.
0:39:06 > 0:39:12- It looks like this one's hit the buffers.- What they've said is this one's now a dead end, really.
0:39:12 > 0:39:18It does grate with me a little bit, but I know I can say I've done everything I can.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21We don't want people dumping their things on the side of the road,
0:39:21 > 0:39:27and I hope people can see that we are really, really looking into every single line we can.
0:39:27 > 0:39:28And unlucky enough on this one.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32It grates with me that we ain't found it, but I can say I tried my best.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Well, you can't win 'em all, Darren.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39But anyone considering illegally fly-tipping in Tendring in the future, beware,
0:39:39 > 0:39:43because this enviro-enforcer doesn't give up without a fight.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51In Middlesbrough, enviro-enforcers are battling against
0:39:51 > 0:39:58a surge of illegal fly-tips that are blighting a deprived industrial area in the heart of the city.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02Filthy rotten scoundrels have been taking advantage of empty streets and dumping their
0:40:02 > 0:40:05household and commercial rubbish wherever they please.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Middlesbrough council's Phil Armitage and Lee Hooker
0:40:09 > 0:40:13are concentrating on one case of fly-tipping including two very large doors.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17But this area is so deserted that the chances of finding anyone
0:40:17 > 0:40:21who can help with their investigation seem very slim.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28Lee bumped into one man who claims he saw it being dumped.
0:40:28 > 0:40:34It's a very positive lead, but they'll need more than one man's statement to build a credible case.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Yeah, yeah. When did you see those gates last on that...
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Two, three week.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43- So two or three weeks ago, did you see him...- Yeah.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44Were you in the street here?
0:40:44 > 0:40:50- Did you see him take those gates physically, cross here...- Yeah. - ..and put them there?- Yeah, I see it.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52And what were you doing? Where were you stood?
0:40:52 > 0:40:57Yeah, I'm here, but the guy wasn't watching.
0:40:57 > 0:40:58Righto.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01What's your date of birth, sir?
0:41:01 > 0:41:03OK. Thanks for your time.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06It's something to follow up on, but the officers aren't convinced
0:41:06 > 0:41:11it will get them any closer to finding the people that dumped this lot.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14So they've decided to take the lead from their colleagues
0:41:14 > 0:41:18who have had such a positive result from CCTV just around the corner.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22The cameras will monitor the spot where the doors were dumped.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27It's a long shot, but the people who dumped the doors might just fly-tip here again.
0:41:28 > 0:41:35And it may just give us an idea of what time this person or persons comes and uses the unit.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36Could be six o'clock in the morning.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40If that's the case, we'll come back at six in the morning, see if we can catch them.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45Or ten o'clock at night. And if that's the only way of doing it, then that's what we'll do.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48It's all in a day's work for our enviro crusaders.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51There's no such thing as an easy case for them.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55It usually takes months of leg work to nail fly-tipping scoundrels.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00With some investigations, it can take months and months just to get
0:42:00 > 0:42:03all the facts and evidence together, do all the background checks.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06By the time you get a court date, it could be six months later.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10And they may not even turn up for the first hearing, second hearing,
0:42:10 > 0:42:16and you could be talking a year after the actual event before you actually get
0:42:16 > 0:42:18a guilty or not guilty plea in court.
0:42:20 > 0:42:27Phil and Lee haven't got a result with this case yet, but the CCTV has proven successful.
0:42:27 > 0:42:33Since the camera was put up on the industrial estate, there hasn't been one single fly-tip.
0:42:34 > 0:42:40Our enviro-enforcers' work, combined with a little technological helping hand,
0:42:40 > 0:42:45has made an immense difference to an area that, fingers crossed, will continue to improve.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50Right across the UK, enviro-enforcers are working hard
0:42:50 > 0:42:53to make our country a greener, cleaner place to live.
0:42:53 > 0:43:00Join us next time, when we'll be hot on the heels of more filthy rotten scoundrels.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:03 > 0:43:06E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk