0:00:02 > 0:00:06All over the country, officers are fighting to keep our streets clean and keep the great in Great Britain.
0:00:06 > 0:00:12Every one of these persons caught, prosecuted, should receive two years in prison straight away.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Every 30 seconds, someone somewhere in the UK
0:00:15 > 0:00:17illegally dumps rubbish.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20From bags of dog mess to mountains of rubble,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22it's wrecking the streets where we live.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25On today's programme -
0:00:25 > 0:00:28it doesn't get more serious than this,
0:00:28 > 0:00:33can officers in London bring to an end the nine year reign of a hardcore criminal gang?
0:00:33 > 0:00:35This is a racket.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38It's organised crime and there's nothing else to say.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45In Leicestershire, could officers be dealing with a serial flytipper
0:00:45 > 0:00:47that's ruining a farmer's livelihood?
0:00:47 > 0:00:49When consumed by the cow in the winter,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52it will almost inevitably mean the death of a cow.
0:00:52 > 0:00:58And the incredible story of how more than 20 lorry loads of sinks were dumped on private land.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01This was a considerable amount of waste.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05I mean, several tens of tonnes I should imagine.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07And up to a depth of 2-3ft deep.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13This is the ongoing fight against Britain's filthy, rotten scoundrels
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Islington, north London.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Where flytipping has been taken to the extreme.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43We're talking of not 10, 20, 30 tyres,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46we're talking of, in some instances, tens of thousands of tyres.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51And it's thought one notorious criminal gang is behind it all.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I think they have scouts that go out and find locations like this,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57areas where they're out of public view,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59they can get on with what they're doing.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01It's a massive problem.
0:02:01 > 0:02:07Not only are these tyres dangerous to the environment, but it costs a fortune to clear them.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12In the last two years alone, Islington Council has cleared 10,000 dumped tyres
0:02:12 > 0:02:13at a hefty cost.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Wait for it - £60,000.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24One man who's fallen victim to the gang is Dino Carnivali.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28He runs an Italian wholesale food business in King's Cross
0:02:28 > 0:02:32and was astounded when he found over 1,000 tyres piled up in his car park.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Eight months ago, we started noticing tyres which had been dumped.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43To dump this many tyres would... You know, it takes some going.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45It's not someone who's just taken an opportunity.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49That's somebody who's got contacts. You don't really know where to go.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51I'm suddenly lumbered with a two grand bill,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55I've got tyres on my land, which I don't want and I don't need.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00You know, there's nothing to stop 'em coming back and refilling the area tomorrow.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04You know, unless I physically get involved myself, what can I do that's legal?
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Not a lot.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09So you can understand why Dino's at his wits' end.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12His car park is jammed with thousands of tyres
0:03:12 > 0:03:14and there really is no end in sight for him.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19But this tyre-tipping gang is prolific.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22And it's not long before they make another daring strike
0:03:22 > 0:03:24at a warehouse in York Way, King's Cross.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Close to Dino's business.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Kenny Wilkes is at the scene.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33This former dustman heads up Islington's elite environmental crime team,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35and he's seen it all before.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39They use a large box-type Luton vehicle.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43They'll go around to people that are in the tyre business,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47pass themselves off as being registered waste carriers, which they're not.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Then find a warehouse like this or somewhere that's out of the way.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54They'll unload the tyres, drive off, secure the gate behind them,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56so that they can come back.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59They'll keep coming back until they fill the premises up unfortunately.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03At Islington HQ,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Kenny's team is determined to bring these criminals to justice.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09So fellow environment enforcer Tim Troon has been
0:04:09 > 0:04:13trawling through hours of CCTV footage of the warehouse
0:04:13 > 0:04:15to try and spot these guys in action.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22This camera is used for various parking offences and it's also used for antisocial behaviour,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26which, King's Cross, has been known for in the past,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28but obviously has benefited from CCTV
0:04:28 > 0:04:30to produce that fear of crime and crime aspect.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35The tyre-tippers have been operating across North London for the past nine years.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37So they're well known to Tim.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40And sure enough, they've been caught on camera.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41They work in a trio
0:04:41 > 0:04:46and there will be two offloading the tyres into the warehouse.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49The third member of the gang will actually come outside
0:04:49 > 0:04:51and spot, basically.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55It is quite late at night. It is dark.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58You can see here, the vehicle's coming out now.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02The spotter is speaking to both the occupants of the vehicle.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07And the vehicle will go forward, the spotter goes in, closes the gates.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11The problem we have here, all we're seeing
0:05:11 > 0:05:14is the vehicle going in the building and exiting the building.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18We don't actually see the issue of the tyres being dumped.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Unless Tim catches the trio in the act,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25he's powerless to bring them to justice.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28He needs hard evidence or this is going to keep happening.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Seen in vehicle. Charlie, Charlie, Uniform, black...
0:05:35 > 0:05:38One of the ways his elite team traps flytippers is by taking part
0:05:38 > 0:05:41in police roadblocks to stop suspicious vehicles.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- You carrying any rubbish on you?- No.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46And when Tim's with the police, he spots their van.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51Just after the roadblock, we saw the vehicle actually going through the borough.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55We were fortunate enough to have police with us at the time.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57They actually pulled the vehicle over.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Unfortunately there were no tyres in the back of the vehicle at the time,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04but there is other evidence to lead us to believe
0:06:04 > 0:06:06that his has been used in fly-tip cases,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10through other local authorities with photographs with this vehicle.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13And there's also documentation which was held inside the vehicle
0:06:13 > 0:06:17which leads me to believe the vehicle has been used for flytipping.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22This is a big breakthrough for Tim.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Even though there were no tyres in the van,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27he was able to impound the vehicle and now he can carry out
0:06:27 > 0:06:31a daring covert operation to try to catch them out.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33They're leaving nothing to chance on this one
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and have pulled in some serious technology.
0:06:35 > 0:06:41- That's the best place to put it, because...- If it bangs, it's going to stay on the chassis.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44- It'll go over bumps an' all that. - Yeah.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45- It's pretty solid.- That's fine.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47It's absolutely fine.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52We're at a stage now where we will put a tracking device onto the vehicle
0:06:52 > 0:06:55so we're able to see where the vehicle's actually flytipping,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58where its routes are around London,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01so we can identify where the hotspots are likely to be.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05This is the actual tracking device part here.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06It's actually battery-run.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10It's attached simply by a very strong magnet.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Cos he'll be suspicious. We've given his vehicle back.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15He'll be suspicious why we've given his vehicle back.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18So at this stage, we need to attach it to the vehicle
0:07:18 > 0:07:22where he's not going to physically look around and find it.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26So it needs to be well concealed and of course, it's a lot of money,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28we need to be able to retrieve this.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The transmitter that's now on the van will send a signal
0:07:32 > 0:07:35that's picked up by officers who can remotely monitor
0:07:35 > 0:07:37where the van is at all times.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40This is a high-risk operation,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45but it could get Tim the crucial evidence he needs to arrest the flytippers.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50I don't want to see flytipped tyres being left in people's front gardens,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53people's driveways, people's warehouses,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55children's play areas.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57We need to bring him before a court of law.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00So the daring sting operation is all ready to go.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04But, they first need to hand back the van
0:08:04 > 0:08:06without the men noticing the tracker device.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11Still to come: Could the operation be scuppered from the outset
0:08:11 > 0:08:15as soon as the illegal fly-tippers get their van back?
0:08:15 > 0:08:20They've actually asked whether we've tampered with the vehicle or put a tracking device on it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22The theory is they might find the tracking system
0:08:22 > 0:08:24and therefore lost the evidence.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26But if the criminals haven't noticed the tracker,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30the officers believe they know exactly what they'll be up to next.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I'm confident that he will definitely come back
0:08:32 > 0:08:34to the one in our borough.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Everyone's waiting with bated breath
0:08:37 > 0:08:40to nail these scoundrels once and for all.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Sitting within a triangle made up of Nottingham, Leicester and Derby,
0:08:47 > 0:08:53the borough of Charnwood is defined by its picturesque countryside
0:08:53 > 0:08:56where animals roam freely among its rolling hills and wild valleys.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58This is a piece of old England
0:08:58 > 0:09:01that has truly withstood the test of time.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06A lot of the Charnwood borough area is rural,
0:09:06 > 0:09:07it's absolutely gorgeous countryside.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10You can imagine on a lovely sunny day
0:09:10 > 0:09:12there's no better place to be, really.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16But that doesn't stop selfish rogues from ruining this idyllic spot
0:09:16 > 0:09:18with their shameless behaviour.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Fly-tipping, rotten tyres, bags of rubbish,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25and all manner of things that pollute the fields and roadsides.
0:09:28 > 0:09:34Chris has received a call about an outrageous fly-tip on farmland
0:09:34 > 0:09:36that needs urgent investigation.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40We're going to a fly-tip that occurred yesterday.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43That's occurred on a farmer's field
0:09:43 > 0:09:46where they've knocked down a wire fence to gain access
0:09:46 > 0:09:53to the field, driven about 100 yards into the field, and just tipped it.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57The rogues had no qualms about barging their way onto the farmland.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59What's more they are sharp ends,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02screws and nails sticking out everywhere.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Chris is investigating this potentially dangerous incident
0:10:07 > 0:10:11with Sarah Coleman and Steve Lally from Leicester Council.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14They're all desperate to catch the culprits responsible,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16for the sake of farmer, Eddie Kirk.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19It's a scene that we have become accustomed to.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Fly-tipping's a huge problem in the countryside now.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28You know, as we got nearer I knew what had happened
0:10:28 > 0:10:31and it was just an awful feeling.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35These law-breakers were going for it
0:10:35 > 0:10:37when they dumped all this waste in Eddie's field
0:10:37 > 0:10:40but there's so much rubbish here there's a good chance
0:10:40 > 0:10:43of finding a crucial piece of evidence hidden away.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Farmer, Eddie, hopes they do find something
0:10:45 > 0:10:47because this lot has caused significant damage
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and could potentially be lethal for his animals.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55The biggest problem we've got here is...
0:10:55 > 0:10:58There's timbers here as you can see, they've all got nails in.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02That presents a huge problem for the growing crop
0:11:02 > 0:11:05because there's various screws and nails.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09This would be, no doubt,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11collected up by the machines as we harvest the grass.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16Ultimately, it will go into the cattle feed for the year
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and wires, screws, nails, bits of rusty metal
0:11:19 > 0:11:22when consumed by the cow in winter
0:11:22 > 0:11:25will almost inevitably mean the death of the cow,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28or any livestock for that matter.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31I would almost say, this field now,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34it would have to be probably ripped up and reseeded
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and we'll start again with it.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44The enviro-enforcers have got everything to play for.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49They're going to track down the scoundrels that desecrated this piece of countryside.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51A receipt, a piece of paper, they're looking for anything
0:11:51 > 0:11:55that could point them in the direction of who dumped this lot.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00And then, it looks like Chris has struck gold.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03There's a receipt, or an invoice,
0:12:03 > 0:12:09from a company in Leicester that is, although it's plain on the front,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13it gives the address, and on the back
0:12:13 > 0:12:17it lists four times starter, three outlets,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20six gutter, four brackets,
0:12:20 > 0:12:25everything that's associated with a company
0:12:25 > 0:12:27that's putting up new fascias and gutters
0:12:27 > 0:12:30either at a house or a company.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34So, when you look at the stuff that's recovered here,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37you know the chances are that it is related.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Bingo! Chris has found some more evidence.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Yes, we've got a piece of cardboard from FedEx
0:12:45 > 0:12:47delivering to a company in Oadby.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Now we can start a point of inquiry and carry it through.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56That is great news, Chris, an excellent lead to follow up on.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00His colleague, Steve Lally, is just as happy with this development.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Chris has done a good job recovering the evidence
0:13:03 > 0:13:06so that gives Leicestershire an active line of inquiry
0:13:06 > 0:13:08with two commercial companies
0:13:08 > 0:13:13that perform this kind of maintenance to people's houses.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It may well be that the company themselves
0:13:15 > 0:13:18have no knowledge of this.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21It may well be that they've got employees
0:13:21 > 0:13:24that have been doing the job
0:13:24 > 0:13:28that have unscrupulously got rid of the remains of a job in this way.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Coming out in the dead of night, removing wire from the fence
0:13:31 > 0:13:34is a determined effort to bring this here
0:13:34 > 0:13:36with a view of not getting caught.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40You might think the enviro-enforcers are now ready to follow up on their lead.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43However they haven't quite finished here yet.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51Farmer Eddie has been hit in another field just a stone's throw away.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56This time, the criminals have unbelievably charged through an electric fence.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00It's immediately clear though where this lot has come from.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05Looking at this, it's all to do with the catering trade.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Aluminium catering foil...
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Tomato ketchup...
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Direct charcoal, restaurant charcoal.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21But these fly-tippers aren't exactly that bright.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Chris has found some damning evidence.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27We have got an address of a company on here.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32There's a lot of items relating to this company.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35So I should imagine,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39this looks like they've had a bit of a clearance.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40There's more than plenty of clues
0:14:40 > 0:14:43for Chris to get his teeth into here.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46There's addresses relating to a fast food company.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51A lot of the mail shots are all to do with catering trades.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55We got enough evidence to try and associate what type of premises it is.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00The team has a lot to be getting on with.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04The question is, can they get a result and get justice for Eddie?
0:15:06 > 0:15:11Back at Charnwood Borough Council HQ, Chris gets down to work.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13He's got the leads he needs,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and is now being helped by his colleague, Kevin Vamplough.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23The evidence they found on the farmland has proved very useful.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26It's not long before they've linked someone to the fly tips,
0:15:26 > 0:15:31and they're coming in for a formal, taped interview.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34It's a couple of weeks after they first discovered the fly tip,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38and officer Kevin is ready to get down to business.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Still to come on Filthy Rotten Scoundrels:
0:15:43 > 0:15:46The man's interview reveals some intriguing information.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Could there be more to this case than initially meets the eye?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52It is not a point that he could deny.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53It was relating to his business,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56of which he is the sole owner, the sole manager.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00And officer Chris has picked up another urgent case.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03He is starting to put two and two together.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06To get two quite large fly-tips
0:16:06 > 0:16:11in the space of five, six days, is unusual.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16Could the officers have a serial fly-tipper on their hands?
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Back in north London, Islington's hit squad of enviro-crime fighters
0:16:22 > 0:16:24are going for a group of men
0:16:24 > 0:16:29who they suspect are dumping thousands upon thousands of tyres
0:16:29 > 0:16:30throughout the borough.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33We need to bring this gentleman before a court of law.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36And it is D-Day.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Operation tyre-tippers is now going full throttle.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43The group's impounded van has been handed back to them,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46and the enviro-team's big cheese, Kenny Wilkes,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48isn't taking any chances.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53We are off to a north London police station so that if there is likely
0:16:53 > 0:16:56to be any breach of the peace, we have got police support there.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Kenny's following Tim, who is doing the handover
0:16:59 > 0:17:02with fellow environment enforcer, Chris Demetrio.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07The vehicle will be delivered by our contractor.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Two of my staff will then make contact with the person,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13and pass the keys back to him,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and then we will happily let him drive off with the vehicle,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20go back to base, and we will see where he goes with it.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25The van is there. Tim and Chris are there.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26But where are the villains?
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Could they have smelt a rat and this be a no-show?
0:17:35 > 0:17:38A man has turned up near the van.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39Could he be one of the law-breakers?
0:17:45 > 0:17:47It is a nail-biting wait for Kenny.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Could they have got cold feet?
0:17:49 > 0:17:53After all, the van is parked outside a police station.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Well, the man is obviously too precious to lose,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02because a couple of men have finally turned up.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05But worryingly, one is checking it over.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09The officers have handed the vehicle back.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13There are two people there. One of them is the owner of the vehicle.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16The other is someone that we know is involved with the gang.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20And they have been a little bit cheeky,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22as we would have expected, a bit intimidatory.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27They've actually asked whether we have tampered with the vehicle
0:18:27 > 0:18:30or actually put a tracking device on it.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Well, you're hardly going to say yes, are you?
0:18:33 > 0:18:37And they take back their van, complete with Tim's tracker.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39But will it get them the result they want?
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Back at Islington HQ, and everything seems to be going to plan.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47The tracker has been activated,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49and Tim and Chris are following
0:18:49 > 0:18:52the movements of the van picked up by the law-breakers.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53This is Hackney.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54This is Hackney, yeah.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56What we have got on screen here
0:18:56 > 0:19:00is the live update of the tracking system actually in action.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Now we can see where he has left Tottenham
0:19:02 > 0:19:05and he has pretty much gone across north London,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08through the bottom end of Haringey through to Seven Sisters.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11So at this stage, what we are going to do is collate the evidence.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13So we're going to view this over the next couple of days at periodic times.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17- I suppose the most important thing is to see where the vehicle is parked overnight.- Absolutely.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21And then hopefully that can give us the location of some of the suspects.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25More important for us is, if he is visiting the same place on a number of occasions throughout
0:19:25 > 0:19:31the day, that would indicate that it is possibly when he's tipping, so we can actually work with that
0:19:31 > 0:19:36and we can actually gather the evidence and eventually catch him in the act
0:19:36 > 0:19:38and bring him before a court.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41But this is a tricky job to get right.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45The surveillance team haven't got it in the bag just yet.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47The fear is that they may not use this vehicle.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49The fear is, yes, they might find the tracking system.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53And the fear is they may take it somewhere where...
0:19:53 > 0:19:58somebody who's experienced with finding these devices may find it, and therefore
0:19:58 > 0:20:03we've lost the tracking system and we've lost the opportunity to gather the evidence.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09And that would be a devastating blow after all the hard work the team has put into this sting.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Time to bring the big boss up to speed.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14So this is where they have driven to this morning.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19And do we know whether any of these addresses link up to any of the information we have got?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21It doesn't link up just yet,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24but these are the streets that he has been driving down.
0:20:24 > 0:20:30So now we can see that he is over in south London somewhere.
0:20:30 > 0:20:36But what I would be interested in is from this bird's-eye view is to look at anywhere where
0:20:36 > 0:20:42there are disused factories, where there are open spaces, and whether he visits those more regularly.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45How long do you want us to track this for...
0:20:45 > 0:20:47before we sort of go in?
0:20:47 > 0:20:50I've got the authorisation for 30 days.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53So we've got a month to analyse.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58But I reckon it won't take 30 days before we find him engaged in fly-tipping.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02I am confident that he will definitely come back to the one
0:21:02 > 0:21:06on our borough that he has partially filled up,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08and if we do see him anywhere near there,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12that would be an immediate bells out to everybody,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and all get down there to try and catch him in the act,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18because that is the best evidence that we're going to get.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21So, it's all down to catching the law-breakers in the act.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28Still to come...the moment of truth arrives as it looks like the officers' hunch was right.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32The vehicle in fact has now turned up at York Way to deposit some more tyres.
0:21:32 > 0:21:39As the police swoop in to make the arrests, it's clear that these men are seriously hardened criminals.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44This is a racket. It's organised crime.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46There's nothing else to say.
0:21:46 > 0:21:52They might have got an arrest, but will these men go down for their outrageous crimes?
0:21:56 > 0:21:58And in the beautiful Leicestershire countryside,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02officers are investigating two illegal dumps on farmland.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06This has created a huge problem for us now.
0:22:06 > 0:22:12This field now, it would have to be ripped up and re-seeded, and we'll start again with it.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16He knew nothing of what was going on with these fly-tips,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18but our next case is one that beggars belief.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Somebody actually planned to have more than 20 lorry-loads of waste dumped on their land.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Ever get that sinking feeling?
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Well, that's precisely how officers
0:22:34 > 0:22:38at Blackburn with Darwen Council felt when they came across this site...
0:22:40 > 0:22:47Thousands upon thousands of broken ceramic sinks, dumped in their beautiful Lancashire countryside.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53The council received complaints from local residents about the activities that were going on.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56And when we came to investigate, we saw there was actually
0:22:56 > 0:23:00a sea of sinks, standing out, shiny, glazed, white.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05It was a shocking blot on the landscape in this picturesque corner of north-west England
0:23:05 > 0:23:11and one that Senior Fly-tipping Enforcement Officer Simon Robinson will never forget.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16The visual appearance when my officers got here was that
0:23:16 > 0:23:21it was literally like a glacier, shining in the sunlight.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25It would have been visible to anybody overlooking the site.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28You can see we're in a rural location.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31People do live in farms in the surrounding hills,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33and it would have stood out for miles.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39Here we can see some larger pieces, and this is perhaps more representative
0:23:39 > 0:23:42of the sort of stuff that was dumped.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49And literally it was tons and tons and tons of broken sink.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56And what's extraordinary is that this is private land,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00and the sea of sinks was dumped here with the landowner's blessing.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08The landowner wanted to produce a hardstanding, to park his vehicles.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11He made an arrangement to bring broken Belfast sinks
0:24:11 > 0:24:16from a nearby factory onto the land to produce the hardstanding.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22The dump began in February 2007 and took several months to build up.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24This was 22 tipper loads.
0:24:26 > 0:24:32This was a considerable amount of waste. I mean, several tens of tons, I should imagine.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35And up to a depth of two to three feet deep.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38It extended up to here.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Viewing it from this point,
0:24:41 > 0:24:46it went all the way back and just presented a sea of white...
0:24:46 > 0:24:48glazed enamel.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It was the sheer scale of the dump that beggars belief.
0:24:51 > 0:24:57But the council wasn't going to let the people responsible get away with it.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01The manufacturer was prosecuted for failure in duty of care,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05because they had no control over where their waste had been taken to.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10The gentleman who brought the waste on the land was prosecuted
0:25:10 > 0:25:17for transporting waste without the benefit of a waste management licence and for also tipping the waste.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22And the landowner was prosecuted for allowing waste to be dumped
0:25:22 > 0:25:27on his land without the benefit of a waste management licence.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31The landowner and contractor were fined a couple of hundred pounds each,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34but it was the sink manufacturer that came off worse.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39They were slapped with a fine of more than £4,500, and that brought to an end
0:25:39 > 0:25:43an investigation that won't be forgotten for some time to come.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50To us, that was an unusual case. At that time, it was high profile.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52We've certainly seen nothing like it.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Now, it's one thing knowing and allowing waste to be dumped on your land,
0:26:00 > 0:26:05but in Charnwood in Leicestershire, it's a very different story for farmer Eddie Kirk.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Scoundrels have dumped on his land not once but twice,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and it's costing him more than cash out of his pocket.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17Wires, screws, nails, bits of rusty metal - when they're consumed by the cow in the winter,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20it will almost inevitably mean the death of the cow.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25Officers have found evidence hidden amongst the fly-tips, and it's given them some crucial leads.
0:26:25 > 0:26:32There's an invoice from a company in Leicester.
0:26:32 > 0:26:38But it's not just farmer Eddie who's affected by the outrageous countryside fly-tippers.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43Locals like Gaye Pepper and Robert Dews have also had enough of the people wrecking where they live.
0:26:43 > 0:26:49These people out in the countryside are making our lives pretty miserable,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53giving us lots of headaches. And they're not doing the countryside any good whatsoever.
0:26:53 > 0:26:59Gaye is a local landowner, who's suffered first-hand from these filthy rotten scoundrels.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01She's seen it all.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06A children's playground, builders' rubbish, bathrooms...
0:27:06 > 0:27:09any kind of thing. Bags of rubbish.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14People are very good at dropping off four or five bags in bin-liners.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18It's not just the big heaps. It's the tiny ones as well.
0:27:18 > 0:27:25It's a lifelong headache. If you're a farmer, fly-tipping seems to be part of the farm, which it shouldn't be.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28On behalf of Gaye, Robert and all the residents
0:27:28 > 0:27:32of Leicestershire, the Enviro Con investigation team has been busy.
0:27:32 > 0:27:38They've tracked down a man related to one of the fly-tips on farmer Eddie's land.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Today, he's coming in to be formally interviewed by officer Kevin Vamplough.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47By the type of waste that we're finding in this particular case,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49it's not a point that he can deny.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54It was relating to his business, of which he's the sole owner, the sole manager.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57There was paperwork relating to both his name and his business's name.
0:27:57 > 0:28:04So it's a case of for him to explain to me as to how that's happened.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09There are laws relating to your duty of care of your waste,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12and obviously this gentleman's had a duty of care of his waste.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17This interview's basically to see whether he's discharged that duty in the correct manner.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20The man declined to be filmed.
0:28:24 > 0:28:3050 minutes later, it's all over, and it looks like there's still a lot more work to do on this case.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Some of the waste is his. It can be traced back to him.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36But...
0:28:36 > 0:28:42he has a reason as to why he's not the person responsible and knows nothing about it,
0:28:42 > 0:28:47which we'll follow up. He's provided some records that we need to look at in detail
0:28:47 > 0:28:52regarding the transfer of his waste, and only time will tell whether he can
0:28:52 > 0:28:57assist us far enough to see what, if anything, he's done wrong. He may have done nothing wrong.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00It looks to me like there's still a long way to go
0:29:00 > 0:29:05before Charnwood's Enviro team can firmly shut the door on farmer Eddie's fly-tipping case.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11These are busy times for the environment officers.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Chris has been alerted to another outrageous fly-tip.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18This one, a pile of wood, has just been dumped by the side of the road.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24It's all about collecting evidence for Chris, and you have to be careful.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28People look at it and think it's dead easy to go through, but you've got to be really wary.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Pick that plank up and quite easily put a nail through your hand.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36The large pieces of wood suggest this pile of rubbish could have once been a shed or an outbuilding.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40But will it hold any clues to its owner?
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Sometimes you get delivery addresses, notes on the cardboard boxes.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46It looks like there might be nothing there,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50but without really opening it up and checking,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53you won't know.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58Chris leaves no piece of wood unturned, and there's certainly plenty of it.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01These flytippers take the biscuit.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04They just treat...
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Society with contempt, really.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09There's no excuse for it.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11And as I say, anybody that does this
0:30:11 > 0:30:15is going to have no regard for anybody's safety really.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21It doesn't look like Chris is having any joy with finding evidence in this lot,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24so it now needs to be cleared up by Charnwood's contractors
0:30:24 > 0:30:26at the taxpayer's cost.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29But there's no rest for the council's number one enforcer,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Chris has another case to investigate.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37Is it just coincidence? Or could the same person be responsible for all these fresh dumps?
0:30:38 > 0:30:45We have not had a large amount of items tipped in this area
0:30:45 > 0:30:47for a long time.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51And then suddenly, to get two quite large flytips
0:30:51 > 0:30:57in a space of five, six days, is unusual.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02Chris and fellow enviro-enforcer Kevin Vamplough are desperate
0:31:02 > 0:31:05to get to the bottom of these illegal flytips.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07It was Kevin that originally picked up on the case.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10This whole area which has now been disturbed,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13you can see the glass still there, little bits of glass glistening,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17and onto the road out to about this sort of level,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20was where the fly-tip was, cos you can see it covered quite a big area.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23The fact that the waste weighed roughly 7.5 tonnes
0:31:23 > 0:31:26would suggest that it's come straight off the back of a vehicle.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29And the way it was piled, it wasn't hand thrown off.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32It would have been tipped straight off the back of a lorry.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Because it was all quite neat, in one big, neat pile.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39There's two sets of tyre marks, tyre tracks coming in,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42which would suggest that it's been driven in either way,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45tipped and then driven away from.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50Before the tip was cleared away, Kevin managed to find a crucial clue
0:31:50 > 0:31:52hidden in the fly-tip.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54Could this help them in their investigation?
0:31:54 > 0:32:00We found an address, which is very unusual in construction-type flytips,
0:32:00 > 0:32:04to find these items. That's where we're going to go now,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08we'll have a look at the address, try and find out who the owner is.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Chris and Kevin are straight onto their lead.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15We've got an address that...
0:32:15 > 0:32:20Some evidence that relates to an address on this street
0:32:20 > 0:32:26and we're just going to find out why that address is there
0:32:26 > 0:32:27and take it from there.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31This is where the adrenaline kicks in.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34No matter how many times they've done this before,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37they never know who or what lies behind a door.
0:32:44 > 0:32:45Typical!
0:32:45 > 0:32:47There's no-one at home.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51But Chris and Kevin aren't giving up that quickly.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54And begin house-to-house enquiries.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59- Hi.- Hi.- I'm from Charnwood Borough Council, right,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02making some enquiries about your neighbours next door.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04- You know...- Next door?
0:33:04 > 0:33:08- Yeah, are they having any building work done?- Yeah, they're working.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- Are they?- I'll have a look if someone's there now.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Are we able to have a look through here as well?
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Just to see if we can have a look at the back? Is that OK?
0:33:16 > 0:33:18- Hold on a minute.- All right then. Thank you.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22The neighbour can't help Chris and Kevin with their enquiries,
0:33:22 > 0:33:23so they decide to leave a note
0:33:23 > 0:33:26asking the house owner to get in touch with them.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29It looks like this is a dead end for the time being.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31In fact, after they visit the property,
0:33:31 > 0:33:36Chris and Kevin found out that the person who they thought lived there has long since moved out.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42So that address has now been discounted from their investigations.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46It looks like a dead end for the time being.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50But you can be sure the officers won't let the suspect get away with it.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59The person whose address this is was later eliminated from Chris's investigations.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Both this case and the fly-tips on farmer Eddie's land are still ongoing.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09For local resident Robert Dews, who's a volunteer for the Campaign to Protect Rural England,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11he's had enough of this kind of flytipping.
0:34:12 > 0:34:13Well, it is very sad,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16but it's difficult to know what you can do about it.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Other than education.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22I mean, it's just people failing to go to the tip
0:34:22 > 0:34:25and backing up where they can't be seen.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27There's very little chance that they would be caught
0:34:27 > 0:34:31and it's just causing the farmers and the countryside a grave problem.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Local resident Gaye Pepper feels that we're all responsible
0:34:35 > 0:34:38for keeping our environment clean and green.
0:34:39 > 0:34:40I think it's God's land.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43We look after it and it's up to the general public
0:34:43 > 0:34:45to think that way and do the same.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47And not make it hard for us to do.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Because that's what we're doing.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53It's a very tough job that faces our Leicestershire enviro-enforcers,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56but one thing's for sure, they'll never stop
0:34:56 > 0:35:00till they catch the criminals ruining our green and pleasant land.
0:35:04 > 0:35:05Back in North London,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08and enviro-crime hot shots from Islington Council
0:35:08 > 0:35:11are getting closer and closer to catching the tyre-tippers
0:35:11 > 0:35:14terrorising their patch.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18I'm confident he will definitely come back to the one he's partially filled up.
0:35:18 > 0:35:19And if we do see him here,
0:35:19 > 0:35:23that would be an immediate bells out to everybody.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27It's early morning at Islington HQ,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and Tim Troon has been following the escapades of the villains' van
0:35:30 > 0:35:33that they fitted with a hidden tracking device.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37And we can see the vehicle's been parked up for a number of hours.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Now, the good thing for us is the vehicle's been parked up overnight,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43so it would indicate that it may well be full of tyres.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47Cos he left the location in Islington yesterday
0:35:47 > 0:35:49around three o'clock.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52So it's quite possible that he's used the vehicle
0:35:52 > 0:35:57to fill up with tyres and that is going to return back to York Way this morning to deposit those tyres.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01An abandoned warehouse in York Way in London's King's Cross
0:36:01 > 0:36:04has already been hit by tyre-tippers.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09It's half full, so Tim's convinced they'll go back to fill it up.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11.Who's of African descent...
0:36:11 > 0:36:14He briefs his eco-crime fighting team on the latest.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16OK, good morning, gentlemen.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Today's target is Malcolm Regan.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24He's been flytipping, as you well know, tyres all over the place in the borough.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Him and his gang's going to be targeted through direct surveillance today.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30At York Way yesterday,
0:36:30 > 0:36:35this actual pound is located on the Camden side
0:36:35 > 0:36:38who we're liaising with and actually working in conjunction with as well.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43Now the idea of today's targeted surveillance
0:36:43 > 0:36:49is to follow Regan and the gang to identify where tyres have been picked up from.
0:36:49 > 0:36:54Once he's returned back to York Way, what we're going to actually dos
0:36:54 > 0:36:57is await for him to start tipping the tyres.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59We've got police with us today as well.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Hopefully, they will make an arrest.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04We will interview him at the police station,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07pending a prosecution under the EPA And Clean Environment Act.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12But Tim needs to get irrefutable evidence.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17I need primarily to see the tyres coming off of this vehicle
0:37:17 > 0:37:19onto that land.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23There are 600-1,000 tyres there now. There's very limited space,
0:37:23 > 0:37:28so by his movements which are known to me on previous sites,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31he will fill up a site and disappear and find another one.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36I would already safely say he's found his next site at which he's going to leave tyres.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38So time is the essence.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Hopefully, an arrest can be made today.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45Hopefully, we can bring this to a conclusion and move on with the prosecution.
0:37:46 > 0:37:52And it's all systems go for the final scene of Operation Tyre-tippers to play out.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Tim's received the call he was waiting for
0:37:55 > 0:37:58and it looks like the tyre-tippers have fallen for the bait,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00hook, line and sinker.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05I believe now that the vehicle is full of tyres,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08I've just had a phone call from my colleague in York Way
0:38:08 > 0:38:12indicating that the vehicle, in fact, has now turned up at York Way
0:38:12 > 0:38:14to deposit some more tyres.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17I've asked my colleague to approach with caution,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20not to go near any of the gang members to video what he can.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24I'm hoping that the police will attend.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26And that they will be arrested,
0:38:26 > 0:38:31and then we can start the process of interviewing at the police station.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34It all seems to be coming together.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Every detail is crucial in this kind of sting operation.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39There's the vehicle on the right hand side.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41There's Regan.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45What I'm going to do is just pull up here,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47and just observe.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51All Tim and his crew can do now is wait.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58They need to see the men physically dumping the tyres before they call the police.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02The timing of this is critical.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05Here we go.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07MOBILE RINGS We on?
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Did you actually... Were they taking wheels out of the vehicle?
0:39:14 > 0:39:20Right, OK, mate. If you come round and meet me round the front in Vale Royal. Cheers, bye.
0:39:20 > 0:39:26Neil's just phoned me to say that he's witnessed them taking tyres out of the vehicle.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30He thinks that they've spotted him.
0:39:30 > 0:39:31The police have been called.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34So hopefully, what we can do is secure an arrest.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37SIREN
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Right on cue, the police are here.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45But they're having problems identifying the ring leader.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48The police have actually spoken to our friend
0:39:48 > 0:39:51and they're making some preliminary enquiries.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58It's absolute mayhem here, but the gang has been cornered.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01The police have got one man.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04And next it's the ring leader.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08And he clearly doesn't like our cameras capturing his arrest.
0:40:14 > 0:40:19Finally, tyre-tipper number three is cuffed and taken away.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21And Kenny is one happy man.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Now his team has finally nabbed the group
0:40:23 > 0:40:25that's been wreaking havoc on his patch.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31We've got the three people that we've been following in custody.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33We're going to question them now about all of the offences
0:40:33 > 0:40:36we're aware they've committed. It's been a really good result.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Yup, you can say that again, Kenny.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Just look at the thousands of tyres they've tipped here, it's shocking.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48But catching the men has given Kenny an insight into how they operate.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51We know that the vehicle was empty last night.
0:40:51 > 0:40:56So we know that these have been collected during the course of yesterday and today.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00And the van has already been half emptied.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04So they've already dumped off half of the stuff they've collected.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07It looks as if they're using this to stockpile tyres
0:41:07 > 0:41:09and what we think has been happening
0:41:09 > 0:41:14is that they go around and collect tyres from tyre dealers or wherever,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17they're bringing the van back here to unload the tyres
0:41:17 > 0:41:21and then overnight they're taking tyres out from this storage pile
0:41:21 > 0:41:23and then dumping them around.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28We've now found that we've got another 100 tyres dumped in one of our parks in Islington.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30So this is a racket.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33It's organised crime, there's nothing else to say.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37The men have been charging garages to take their tyres away.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40but instead of recycling them, as is legally required,
0:41:40 > 0:41:44they're pocketing the cash and dumping the tyres instead.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47And just before the team are about to call it a day,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Kenny makes an alarming discovery.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Lucky, I think it's a fake.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Probably need to tell the police that that's there.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00He quickly realises the gun is in fact a replica, and a lighter.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03But nevertheless, if that was pointing at you,
0:42:03 > 0:42:05would you chance it?
0:42:05 > 0:42:09For the Islington enforcement team, it's been a good day all round.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12I think it shows really that if you put effort in to what you're doing,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14you can get the result that you're after.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18The most important thing is this gang now will not be flytipping tyres
0:42:18 > 0:42:21in Islington or anywhere else in Central London for a while.
0:42:23 > 0:42:30In July 2010, three men pleaded guilty to all environmental charges against them.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33One of them got an eight-month custodial sentence
0:42:33 > 0:42:36and the two others, three-month suspended sentences
0:42:36 > 0:42:39plus they both received 120 hours' community service
0:42:39 > 0:42:41and curfew conditions.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44They were also ordered to pay costs.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46While these men got nailed for their crimes,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50in Leicestershire the cases of fly tipping are still being investigated
0:42:50 > 0:42:52by Chris and his fellow enviro-enforcers,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55who are determined to bring the culprits to justice.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Join us next time for more Filthy, Rotten Scoundrels.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:19 > 0:43:23E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk