0:00:02 > 0:00:07Every day, a never-ending war is being waged to clean up Britain.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11It's a massive problem. People live with the mess others make.
0:00:11 > 0:00:16It's horrible. Horrible. We should be proud of the area we live in.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21From the tons of cigarette butts, dogs' mess and household rubbish
0:00:21 > 0:00:27- to mountains of tyres and skiploads of builders' waste...- Fly tippers out to be prosecuted. Fine them.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Your pocket hurts.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33This is just beyond my comprehension.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37We're on the front line of the clear-up and the fightback
0:00:37 > 0:00:44with the dedicated teams tracking down the rogues and putting the Great back into Britain.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48..if you fail to mention something you later rely on in court.
0:00:48 > 0:00:54On today's programme, we're off to the beach, but be careful where you put your towel down.
0:00:54 > 0:01:00Bits of fishing net. Cotton bud sticks. Rubber. Cigarette butts. Shotgun cartridge.
0:01:00 > 0:01:07And a police raid on ten illegal scrap yards uncovers an environmental catastrophe.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11The surface water drains run straight through to the river,
0:01:11 > 0:01:16so this, with oil everywhere, is going to cause a major problem.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Welcome to the dirty world of Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.
0:01:37 > 0:01:44This is Blaby, a district on the southern edge of Leicester, in the middle of England.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49It's a pretty typical sort of place. Typical English countryside,
0:01:49 > 0:01:55typical high street... and typical fly-tipped rubbish. Disgusting!
0:01:56 > 0:02:02Last year, Blaby District Council spent more than £20,000 clearing up rubbish
0:02:02 > 0:02:09dumped illegally on their patch. 20 grand for one small area. What a waste of Council Tax money.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13You see loads of tyres and people littering and stuff.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17- Rugs and carpets in big waste bins. - Mattresses.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20It just spoils the countryside.
0:02:20 > 0:02:27But girl power has come to Blaby. Meet Environmental Protection Officers Kirsty, Helen, Jo
0:02:27 > 0:02:33and the two Hannahs. What they really want is to run the filthy, rotten scoundrels out of town.
0:02:35 > 0:02:41We're on shift with each of them today. First up, Kirsty Odell-Burley.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47Every day is different, so you're not stuck in an office doing the same thing
0:02:47 > 0:02:50day in, day out. It's really good.
0:02:50 > 0:02:56It's just sort of satisfying to carry out your work and make a difference to the environment
0:02:56 > 0:02:59and the area we all live in.
0:02:59 > 0:03:05Today, Kirsty's on the trail of these things - adverts for services, gigs and other events
0:03:05 > 0:03:13are stuck up illegally all over. They can damage public property and in inappropriate places,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17like this, they can cause a hazard by distracting drivers.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22They're a big problem round this area. We're on a main junction
0:03:22 > 0:03:25from the M1 into Leicestershire.
0:03:25 > 0:03:31The council gets at least one complaint a fortnight from members of the public annoyed by these.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36So Kirsty has a cunning plan. You're not going to believe quite how cunning.
0:03:36 > 0:03:42That's right. Kirsty puts her own stickers all over the posters stuck up illegally.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47- How cheeky is that? - So I'm out here today to put these cancelled stickers
0:03:47 > 0:03:54over the sign. So obviously people who were anticipating going to the event
0:03:54 > 0:04:01will think the event's been cancelled. They won't turn up and the organisers will lose money.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07I like your style, Kirsty - hitting scoundrels where it hurts, in the pocket.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12That should make them think twice about putting these up next time.
0:04:12 > 0:04:18You can just take them down, but people just keep putting them up, so we're not punishing them.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24But there is one thing bugging me here. How shall I put it?
0:04:24 > 0:04:28It's not actually true to say it's been cancelled or postponed.
0:04:28 > 0:04:35If you look closely, it says the poster has been cancelled. We're being a little bit cheeky.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Cheeky? I'll say! Now that's what I call small print.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43- The point is, is it working?- It's beginning to prove quite successful
0:04:43 > 0:04:49and it's reducing the amount of fly posters we are getting, which is good.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00It's not just fly posters who are getting their comeuppance.
0:05:00 > 0:05:06Fly tippers had better be on their guard, too - Helen Chalk is on your case.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12Today she's following up all the new reports of rubbish just dumped on the streets.
0:05:12 > 0:05:18The council dealt with almost 400 separate reports of fly-tipped rubbish last year.
0:05:18 > 0:05:24That's more than one a day. Unbelievable. About a quarter of reports are for single items,
0:05:24 > 0:05:30like this mattress. Just lazy dumping of stuff that no one can be bothered to take to the tip.
0:05:30 > 0:05:36Unfortunately, the delivery note doesn't identify who the person responsible is.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38It's just a docket.
0:05:38 > 0:05:45But people with bigger loads to dispose of often make their way to beauty spots like this one
0:05:45 > 0:05:49where they try to get rid of their rubbish without anyone seeing them.
0:05:49 > 0:05:55It's Helen's job to try to hunt for clues that might reveal who is responsible
0:05:55 > 0:05:57for this antisocial behaviour.
0:05:57 > 0:06:03There's no names and addresses. I thought there might have been something, but there isn't.
0:06:03 > 0:06:09What we'll have to do is get District Cleansing to come out and clean this up.
0:06:09 > 0:06:15It's frustrating work. Blaby District Council spends hundreds of pounds every single week
0:06:15 > 0:06:19cleaning up dumped rubbish. Helen's got no time for fly-tippers.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26They haven't got any respect for the environment. It is a nice spot.
0:06:26 > 0:06:33They just come down here and throw out their litter. No respect for the countryside whatsoever.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35No respect and no shame.
0:06:35 > 0:06:42This small pile of rubbish has been dumped at the side of the lane, but hidden away in a ditch nearby
0:06:42 > 0:06:45is a much bigger pile of rubbish.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Oh, it stinks, doesn't it?
0:06:47 > 0:06:52Normally, large quantities of rubbish are commercial waste.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Unscrupulous businesses dumping rubbish to save themselves the cost of doing it properly.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01But today Helen gets a surprise.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03This is just domestic rubbish.
0:07:03 > 0:07:10I mean, it could have gone out with the bins, so I don't understand why people would dump it.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Some people have no common sense.
0:07:13 > 0:07:19Fancy driving all the way out to a beauty spot like this to dump rubbish
0:07:19 > 0:07:22that the council would take away for free anyway!
0:07:22 > 0:07:27Hopefully, something in here will identify...who is responsible.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32Because it's not just a lack of common sense. This is illegal
0:07:32 > 0:07:38- and Helen's determined to track down whoever's done this. - That's just pizza, dirty nappies.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42The remnants of some hanging baskets. They've had a clear out.
0:07:43 > 0:07:49Mmm. A pizza-eating gardener who is a parent to a young baby.
0:07:49 > 0:07:55Something tells me we'll need some more clues if we're going to find the filthy rotter responsible.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Obviously, it will attract vermin
0:07:59 > 0:08:01and foxes, cats, flies...
0:08:01 > 0:08:06Did the person who did this ever stop to think about any of this?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09I doubt it.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11I thought we had a letter then.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14Aha!
0:08:14 > 0:08:19- This had better be worth all the filthy rummaging.- Here we go.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22We've got an address here, so that's good.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27We can write to this person. I'll just take a photo of that
0:08:27 > 0:08:32then we will perhaps write to her and ask her to explain
0:08:32 > 0:08:37how her rubbish came to end up in the ditch here.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51Later in the programme, the detective work goes hi-tech with the hidden cameras.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Up a little bit. Down a bit.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58But what will they capture on film?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Ahh! The British seaside.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12Us Brits love to be on the beach, sunning ourselves, handkerchief on head, bodies going red.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17Fish and chips for tea. And, inevitably, sand in your sandwiches.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24But, sadly, on most British beaches today, it's not just sand you'll find in your sandwich.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29That's a shotgun cartridge.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33And some bottle tops.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37A piece of plastic.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42This is a cotton bud stick. That's come through sewage treatment.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Oh, another tampon applicator.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Rubber. Chuck that overboard and it'll be around for a long time.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Bits of fishing net.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Cigarette butts.
0:10:03 > 0:10:10We don't want to see any of this on the beach at all. No drinking straws, bottle caps, rubber.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17Disgusting. And every last bit of that rubbish has been dropped by someone
0:10:17 > 0:10:22who just thinks it'll get washed away and they don't have to worry.
0:10:24 > 0:10:30In Pembrokeshire in West Wales, the locals have had enough and today they're doing their bit
0:10:30 > 0:10:31to get the beach cleaned up.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36Today we've got Monkton community who have come to clean the beach.
0:10:36 > 0:10:43It's great to see so many people coming out and getting involved, actually, and just having a go.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48Galvanised by the Marine Conservation Society, young and old are out in force.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51These are my kind of people.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56We get so much litter on the beach and it's things like public litter.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Things like sweet wrappers, bottle tops and crisp packets.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05If somebody throws away their litter, somebody else has to pick up after them.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10Why they think that somebody else has to do that, I don't know.
0:11:10 > 0:11:18If we all just put our litter in our pockets and took it home, it would be much easier for everybody.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22It's just sheer laziness. They can't be bothered to look for a bin.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27And they just leave it for somebody else to do.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31No one can go on the beach cos there's lots of rubbish on it.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36If you walk around with rubbish everywhere, you'll step on it.
0:11:36 > 0:11:44- If people throw rubbish, they shouldn't have done it. - People throw rubbish in my garden.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48And, sadly, there's plenty more where that came from.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53In fact, more than ever before.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59This year we released our Beach Watch 2010 survey results.
0:11:59 > 0:12:06We had the highest amount of litter that we've ever had. We've been doing the surveys since 1994
0:12:06 > 0:12:13and it has gone up. On UK beaches in general, we get about 2,000 pieces of litter.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15But in Wales we get over 3,000.
0:12:15 > 0:12:22So you can't take more than a few steps on most beaches without litter and we think that's unacceptable.
0:12:22 > 0:12:29It's a global problem. We get other people's litter - American and Canadian litter washes up here,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and they get our litter as well!
0:12:31 > 0:12:38Crikey! Think about that. You drop a crisp bag in Barry and it could wash up in Boston.
0:12:38 > 0:12:45How did all this rubbish end up in the sea? In the UK, we're never more than 70 miles from the coast.
0:12:45 > 0:12:51You'd be surprised how easy it is for rubbish you drop in the high street to end up on the beach.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Shocking, isn't it?
0:12:53 > 0:12:59We walk along the street, drop a piece of litter. That can easily blow into a river and into the sea.
0:12:59 > 0:13:05It's really good for people to see first-hand, you know, what the problem is
0:13:05 > 0:13:11and that they can actually do something about it. It's them that can stop dropping litter.
0:13:11 > 0:13:18But it's not just litter louts. We can also blight our beaches from the comfort of our own homes.
0:13:18 > 0:13:25The next thing we get is sewage debris. Those are things that people flush down the toilet
0:13:25 > 0:13:29and then they've gone through the sewage system and ended up here.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33The last thing we want really is that to be next to you at a picnic.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37You're telling me! Eugh!
0:13:37 > 0:13:43Dropping litter is a bit of a boomerang. It will always come back to you somewhere
0:13:43 > 0:13:49and it just might be whilst you're relaxing on the beach or your kids are merrily building a sand castle.
0:13:49 > 0:13:56Before the scoundrels tell you how the sand and the tide will make it all disintegrate, listen to this.
0:13:56 > 0:14:04We do a Top 10 list of things we find on the beach. 9 out of 10 are made out of plastic.
0:14:04 > 0:14:10Plastic's a relatively new thing. We don't really know how long it's going to be in the environment.
0:14:10 > 0:14:16But it doesn't really biodegrade. It'll break into smaller pieces and become plastic dust.
0:14:16 > 0:14:23Now that affects animals right from the bottom of the food chain, right the way to the higher up animals
0:14:23 > 0:14:27that might eat some of the plastic or get tangled up in it.
0:14:27 > 0:14:33I would ask everybody to please think about that. If you buy plastic, try to recycle it
0:14:33 > 0:14:39and please always take it home or it may kill a whale or a dolphin or a turtle.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Got that? Good.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Luckily, this lot are on hand to pick up your waste.
0:14:46 > 0:14:53There's been loads of bottle tops and string and, like, tubes and...
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and lighters and all.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59- Plastic bags.- Needles.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05We've got a beautiful country and it's spoilt by people, because they can't be bothered,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10they just throw their litter away. It spoils it for everybody.
0:15:10 > 0:15:16It's not very nice if you want to put your towel down on the sand. You want to enjoy the beach
0:15:16 > 0:15:21and not have this sort of thing next to you. If children dig holes and make sand castles,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25they want to decorate them with shells, not cigarette butts.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29That is one nasty habit.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Cigarette butts.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Quite a few of them. People think there's no problem with them, they're made of paper,
0:15:38 > 0:15:45but there's bits of plastic in them. There's research that says if you put one in 15 litres of water,
0:15:45 > 0:15:51it will kill wildlife. It's what a filter does - it filters out all the toxins.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56So all the toxins get stuck into this as you inhale on it.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Then you chuck it away and think it won't do any harm, but it does.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Worldwide, it's the most common item.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09It turns out smokers aren't just killing themselves, but our lovely sea creatures at the same time.
0:16:09 > 0:16:15And litter is also a killer for local wildlife and sea birds around the beach.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20There's a few ways that plastic litter can affect wildlife.
0:16:20 > 0:16:27One of them is entanglement, so the larger pieces of netting and things like that
0:16:27 > 0:16:33can actually entangle birds and they just simply drown as they get entangled in it.
0:16:33 > 0:16:39Another way is that they actually eat it so they'll mistake it for their prey and actually ingest it.
0:16:39 > 0:16:47Then it gets stuck in their guts or it can fill their whole stomach and then there's no room for food.
0:16:47 > 0:16:54It makes you think, doesn't it? Litter isn't just unsightly. It's incredibly harmful, too.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Right, it's the end of the clear up. How much waste did they find?
0:16:59 > 0:17:05Well, we've got about 15 bags. And that was from quite a small section of the beach.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10This isn't a particularly dirty beach. This is on every beach.
0:17:10 > 0:17:17That's 15 bin bags full of rubbish from just 200 metres of beach. Makes you ashamed, doesn't it?
0:17:19 > 0:17:25These guys have done a brilliant job today. Time for a well-deserved picnic on a very clean beach.
0:17:25 > 0:17:31But I'll tell you one thing - this lot will take their rubbish home with them.
0:17:33 > 0:17:39Can you Adam and Eve it? We're in East London, home of the Pearly Kings and Queens,
0:17:39 > 0:17:45but it's not shiny new pearls being hunted - it's filthy, rotten scoundrels.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50The local Environment Agency is raiding illegal waste sites. They've teamed up with the Old Bill.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56Together they hope to feel a few collars. The Agency's job is to protect the environment from rogues
0:17:56 > 0:18:03who like to pollute it. Today's raid is the culmination of 18 months of work.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10The site is an old wharf which now has 10 illegal waste sites on it -
0:18:10 > 0:18:17scrap yards, waste storage, household, commercial, industrial waste. There are no permits on it.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22There is no drainage facility, no pollution prevention facility.
0:18:23 > 0:18:29It sounds messy. 10 different yards and not a single licence to operate.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31What are they going to find?
0:18:33 > 0:18:39You need a permit to run a scrap yard and you need planning permission to set one up first.
0:18:39 > 0:18:45Get it? Well, these guys don't. They have neither permission, nor a permit.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51And if you're going to run a scrap yard, you have to follow the rules.
0:18:51 > 0:18:58It's the law. You have to sort and separate your junk and make sure it's safely stored. Remove oils,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02fluids and hazardous components and put batteries in secure storage.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10The Environment Agency believes the boys on this site have been failing to follow these rules
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and it's caused major problems.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19There have been fires on the site because of the way the activities are managed.
0:19:19 > 0:19:25Notably, it's tyres that generally go up, but because the scrap yards have cutting gear on their site,
0:19:25 > 0:19:30oxy acetylene torches, people have to be evacuated from the local area,
0:19:30 > 0:19:35the A12 gets closed and it causes havoc in the East End of London.
0:19:38 > 0:19:44The oxy acetylene gas canisters can go boom in a fire and last year they almost did.
0:19:44 > 0:19:50Locals had to be evacuated and it took 30 fire fighters to bring the blaze under control.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54That's public money up in smoke. The environmental team have had enough.
0:19:54 > 0:20:01It's time to confront the scoundrels and get the place cleaned up. 26 filth fighters,
0:20:01 > 0:20:0515 police officers, 10 scrap yards - the raid is on!
0:20:06 > 0:20:09OK, you ready?
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- Off you go, then.- OK.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13me on, then.
0:20:13 > 0:20:19The best outcome for us is that when all the principal operators are there working,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22so the intention is to arrest those operators and landowners
0:20:22 > 0:20:28because they are knowingly causing or permitting the offence to occur by allowing it.
0:20:28 > 0:20:35It's always a nerve-racking time and if he catches them in the act, they'll face a heavy penalty.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41This offence here is not having an environmental permit.
0:20:41 > 0:20:48On conviction at the Magistrates Court, we're looking at a maximum of one year and/or £50,000 fine.
0:20:48 > 0:20:54If it goes to Crown Court, which are larger cases, more polluting cases,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58we can be looking at up to five years and an unlimited fine.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03Ouch. And just because you can't be bothered to do it by the book.
0:21:03 > 0:21:10First of all I'm going to look at two scrap yards. And one is a demolition company's yard.
0:21:10 > 0:21:16This is our first one here, which we can see is loaded up with scrap metal,
0:21:16 > 0:21:22fridges, freezers, TVs, all of which requires a permit for storage.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29White goods have to go with white goods, car bits with car bits.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33It may be scrap, but you can't just throw it into a heap.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38The middle yard here is one we got cleared. There's now another operator on it.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Unbelievable! This site was cleared on a previous operation,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45but there are already new scoundrels in place.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49That looks interesting.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57This is our third yard with demolition waste in it which we need to have a look at.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01This place is a complete mess
0:22:01 > 0:22:06and remember, there is not a single permit to allow storage of scrap on this land.
0:22:06 > 0:22:12Even after such a long investigation, the site is much worse than Owen expected.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17At the three yards you can see behind me, we've got activity on all of these yards.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Business is just increasing and it's bigger than we thought.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Business may be booming, but what's happening here is illegal and dangerous.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31The immediate problem is they don't have an environmental permit to store the waste
0:22:31 > 0:22:34or to break vehicles and process any waste.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38The secondary problem with the numbe of white goods that are in here
0:22:38 > 0:22:44is I suspect a lot of those are goin for export out to Africa and we need to check their export permits,
0:22:44 > 0:22:49whether there's any banned substance in there, i.e, the refrigerant gases CFCs...
0:22:49 > 0:22:56Sending this kind of scrap to Africa shifts the pollution problems from our back yards to theirs,
0:22:56 > 0:23:01but in Owen's experience, it's not just old refrigerators that find their way there.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06Vehicles as well. Vehicles that would not meet any road standards over here,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09MOT failures, even crash damaged vehicles.
0:23:09 > 0:23:15Those are exported as well and cut into pieces and built back together again and operated on the roads
0:23:15 > 0:23:18where the laws aren't so stringent.
0:23:18 > 0:23:24Shocking! Owen needs to see any export licences to check whether on this site they're operating legally.
0:23:24 > 0:23:31Meanwhile, the police believe they may have stumbled across something that affects us closer to home.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Yeah, up in Area 2,
0:23:34 > 0:23:40one of the vehicles on the site has got Network Rail, the high-vis bibs
0:23:40 > 0:23:42and number plates,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46and we suspect it's involved in stolen metal.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The police need to check what's inside the van.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54The bibs made them suspect that someone could have been stealing metal from railway lines.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58It's something the Environment Agency are involved with as well
0:23:58 > 0:24:02because the metal ends up at scrapyards like this.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07It's becoming a real problem on the railways, causing massive delays for passengers
0:24:07 > 0:24:10and costing the rail network a fortune.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13That's just cable wheels in there.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- It's a false alarm. - We looked inside the van.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20It's just the cable wheels. It could come from any sort of business.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23It's nothing that we regard as suspect.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27The van is empty and no crime has been committed.
0:24:27 > 0:24:34We'll be back with the raid team later when the extent of the horrific pollution becomes apparent.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38There's an old sump here. We don't know how deep it is.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47We're back in Blaby where they're employing girl power
0:24:47 > 0:24:51against the filthy, rotten scoundrels ruining the area.
0:24:51 > 0:24:57Though the Environmental Protection Team are happy to get their hands dirty to track down the culprits...
0:24:57 > 0:25:01We've got an address here, so that's good.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05..they've recently started to employ more hi-tech methods.
0:25:05 > 0:25:12Between them, Anna Farish and Jo Hewitt have 12 years' experience tackling environmental crime.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16In other words, don't mess with them.
0:25:16 > 0:25:22Today, they're going to rig a fly-tipping hot spot with hidden cameras
0:25:22 > 0:25:26in the hope of catching the culprits in the act.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30We have removed quite a lot of fly-tipping from there before now,
0:25:30 > 0:25:34so it's quite a good area for us to put the camera up.
0:25:34 > 0:25:41The cameras will be hidden around a lay-by where people just pull up, dump their rubbish and speed away.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45So this is the area that... We have quite a lot of trouble here.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48There's quite a lot of stuff down there.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51The sign's there. That's good.
0:25:51 > 0:25:57Hang on, a sign that clearly says fly-tipping is illegal and you could even go to prison for it?
0:25:57 > 0:26:00It takes some bare-faced cheek to still dump your rubbish here!
0:26:00 > 0:26:04- You take the heavy one. - I've got it.- Are you sure?- Yeah.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09Right, into the bushes, girls. Time to set up those hidden cameras.
0:26:09 > 0:26:15The main issues are trying to make sure that nobody will be able to see it, where we've put it,
0:26:15 > 0:26:22then in this instance, so we have th sign warning people they might be under close-circuit surveillance,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26so we get the person potentially reversing up to the sign,
0:26:26 > 0:26:31we can get their registration and have a still of them tipping in front of that sign,
0:26:31 > 0:26:36so they've got no legal defence because it's obvious it was them and they were warned about it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41Great plan, girls. Scoundrels might think it's OK to ignore the sign,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45but the law won't ignore it if you are caught fly-tipping next to it.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Is that looking at the sign?
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Up a little bit.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Down a bit. Down, down, down, down.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57This beats a dull day in the office!
0:26:57 > 0:27:03The cameras connect wirelessly to the laptop, so the girls can park up along the road
0:27:03 > 0:27:08and still be able to keep a beady eye on what's going on in the lay-by.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11That's wedged in, so we've got the sign in the background.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15I might get another camera and plug another one in.
0:27:17 > 0:27:23She's getting the bug for this, isn't she? Right, camera number two ready for action!
0:27:23 > 0:27:27- Is that the right way up?- No, we're on the side, so we need to...
0:27:27 > 0:27:29I said "ready for action"!
0:27:29 > 0:27:33You're upside down. Keep going all the way round.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39I'm saying nothing.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42It's turned itself off.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44And finally, it's ready for action.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49What we've got set up is one of our cameras which is hidden in the verge
0:27:49 > 0:27:53and that one is looking at our car parked in the lay-by.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58We can see the registration plate then as we drive out of the lay-by.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Then we have the other camera which is set up to look at the sign,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04just in that top corner there.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08As they're both running at the same time, we can use this as evidence
0:28:08 > 0:28:14if we were to take a case to court where we caught somebody fly-tipping in this area.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16OK, so the lay-by is rigged.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Now the girls will start their surveillance operation, hoping to catch someone in the act
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and bring a successful prosecution.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27It's really good fun coming out to set them up.
0:28:27 > 0:28:34It's character-building and playing around in lay-bys is something not many people get to do every day.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Steady on there, Anna!
0:28:37 > 0:28:42Later in the programme, we'll see how their CCTV helped bang up a neighbour from hell.
0:28:49 > 0:28:54We're back with the Environment Agency and Metropolitan Police now
0:28:54 > 0:28:58raiding a site where ten waste yards are operating without permits.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00The whole place is a mess.
0:29:00 > 0:29:07There are strict rules about how to store and dispose of this kind of scrap,
0:29:07 > 0:29:11but an 18-month investigation by the Environment Agency has found
0:29:11 > 0:29:14that no permits have been granted for this site
0:29:14 > 0:29:19and there are no drainage facilities and no facilities to deal with the pollution.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24What does this mean in reality? Well, the team are knee-deep in it.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28This is the remnants of two buildings that were full of tyres
0:29:28 > 0:29:32which burnt just before Christmas an this is what's left over, really.
0:29:32 > 0:29:38There's an old sump here. We don't know how deep it is. It's full of oily kind of fire water
0:29:38 > 0:29:42This is of concern to us from an environmental perspective,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46but it's hard to see the difference between that and what is normal mud.
0:29:46 > 0:29:52I'm just going to tape this area off here to make sure that none of our officers walk into this area.
0:29:52 > 0:29:58We don't know how deep it is. It's a risk to people, so we'll look after our officers today.
0:29:58 > 0:30:04Disgusting! A filthy, oily, watery grave - a real hazard and not just for the team.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Generally, surface water drains run straight through to the river,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11so a site such as this with oil everywhere
0:30:11 > 0:30:15is going to cause a major problem to a local river.
0:30:15 > 0:30:20Pollutants will be seeping into the ground. Again, they will eventually get to the river.
0:30:20 > 0:30:26Moreover, when the site is redeveloped, we've got a lot of contaminated soil to deal with.
0:30:26 > 0:30:32There's a real risk to local rivers and streams and all the wildlife that lives nearby.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34And it gets worse.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37The contaminated soil could be deadly for us too.
0:30:37 > 0:30:43The toxins can cause respiratory diseases and cancer, so the soil will have to be cleaned or removed.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46The whole thing is one almighty mess.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51This again should be for the landowner to clear up.
0:30:51 > 0:30:58Their argument at the moment is these tyres are their own tyres from their own haulage business
0:30:58 > 0:31:02and therefore weren't waste, but if they're taking them off their lorries,
0:31:02 > 0:31:08why are they storing them here? They should be sending them off for recycling.
0:31:08 > 0:31:13If they are waste and they're burnt down, it should be up to the landowner to get rid of this.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16This site is just a mess and needs clearing up.
0:31:16 > 0:31:23It certainly does. And from one pile of badly burnt tyres to another stack sitting in yet another yard.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27The owner claims that the tyres are for re-sale.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30The Environment Agency aren't so sure.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Perhaps we'll do a de-pollution check list on the vehicles on site.
0:31:34 > 0:31:40OK, and then obviously photographic evidence of the tyres in specifics and general.
0:31:40 > 0:31:45Whilst they check the tyres, the rest of the team have discovered a breaker's yard -
0:31:45 > 0:31:51scrap cars being broken down for their parts. There's no permit to allow for this operation here.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Luckily, the owner is on site.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57- Good morning.- Hello. Who are you?- Me?
0:31:57 > 0:32:01- Yeah. You're the landowner of...? - One of these.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06- Which one are you the landowner of? - That one.- This middle yard is yours?- Yeah.- OK.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11We own those cars, we've got logbooks for those cars.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14- No problem at all.- Right.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19The owner has all the right paperwork to prove he owns the cars. That's not a problem.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24But he doesn't have a permit to operate a scrapyard here, so he is arrested.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29The number one team back there, the middle yard, they've got the landowner on site.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32He is being arrested, as is his son,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35for the breaking activity there.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40And both of those could potentially, at a magistrates court, face a £50,000 fine.
0:32:40 > 0:32:46Ouch! That's got to break you. And it's not the only arrest he's hoping to make.
0:32:46 > 0:32:52The operator of the site behind me is currently being questioned by Environment Agency officers.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56And this is an interview under caution they will be doing.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59That's for not having a permit on this site.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03The police are uncovering their own evidence too.
0:33:03 > 0:33:09It's been useful from the police perspective because we've got here a lost or stolen vehicle.
0:33:09 > 0:33:16We've had three people arrested and we're going to the police statio to do interviews under caution.
0:33:16 > 0:33:21Other people who are operating on site we'll invite in for tape-recorded interviews,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24then we'll be preparing case files.
0:33:27 > 0:33:33But that still leaves the big, enormous, gigantic issue of cleaning up this site.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35The operation is not over.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40Owen and his team will be working with the people running each of these yards
0:33:40 > 0:33:44to make sure their businesses operate safely and properly.
0:33:44 > 0:33:50If everyone had been above board, it could have all been so much simpler.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54We talked to people who have moved from being illegal to being legal
0:33:54 > 0:34:00on a concreted site with the proper facilities in and they're wondering why they didn't do it years ago.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05Yes, it's expensive, but the amount of work they can do is much greater.
0:34:05 > 0:34:11Hear that, all you filthy rotters? Do it properly and life is a whole lot easier.
0:34:11 > 0:34:17An outrageous story for you now of the most brazen rubbish dumper you could imagine.
0:34:17 > 0:34:23We're back in Blaby where the district council is fighting back against the fly-tippers
0:34:23 > 0:34:28who constantly blight the community, ruining it for good, decent locals.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31I think it's disgraceful, really.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34There's a tip just down the road.
0:34:34 > 0:34:39They can just tip it there instead of illegally doing it, really.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43If you made them clean it up, they'd think twice before doing it again.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47People think nobody's going to see them dump their rubbish.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52I think it's your responsibility to dispose of it in the correct places.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57As well as the cost of clearing up this little lot,
0:34:57 > 0:35:03the council spent nearly £23,000 last year taking legal action against those responsible.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07Anna Hillier runs the Environmental Protection Team here.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12For over four years, her job has involved taking on Blaby's filthy, rotten scoundrels.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15People get really worked up and stressed out about it,
0:35:15 > 0:35:21so it's great to be able to help them and improve the environment where people live.
0:35:21 > 0:35:27Ah, another lovely person dedicated to keeping our streets clean. It's great to see.
0:35:27 > 0:35:33Despite her passion and experience, Anna's got one case in her files that simply took her breath away.
0:35:33 > 0:35:40It all started in September 2007 when a new resident on this quiet estate reported
0:35:40 > 0:35:46that someone was chucking litter over his fence and right into his garden. The cheek of it!
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Anna was called in to investigate.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52The type of waste was general household waste.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55You can see there's food containers, dirty nappies.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59It was really disgusting. You can imagine it really smelt.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Phew, I bet! Dirty nappies? That's unbelievable!
0:36:04 > 0:36:07But where on earth could the rubbish have come from?
0:36:07 > 0:36:13As you can see, it must have come from the house on the other side of the fence. Don't worry.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16The litter-thrower doesn't live there any more.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Some of the rubbish was landing on a bit of council land
0:36:20 > 0:36:23and the rest into Mark Richards' garden.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26I had to clean dirty nappies away
0:36:26 > 0:36:31and it was like wet nappies as well because the rain had got into them.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34It wasn't a very nice thing to clean up,
0:36:34 > 0:36:38especially when they're not your own child's.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41And it's... I just hated it.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Can you believe what you're hearing?
0:36:44 > 0:36:48Mark's got three young boys. Imagine having to clear this lot up
0:36:48 > 0:36:54before you can even let your kids out in the garden! And it wasn't the odd bit of rubbish here and there.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59Certainly in some places, it was up to the top of the wire fence and beyond.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04There was just so much waste at the back of these houses. It was disgusting.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07So how much are we talking, Anna?
0:37:07 > 0:37:09In the region of 380 kilograms.
0:37:09 > 0:37:15- I'm sorry. I must have misheard. How much did you say? - 380 kilograms of waste.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20It took us... There were two council flatbed lorries here and they were full of the waste.
0:37:20 > 0:37:27That's unbelievable. In old money, that's the best part of 60 stone in someone's household rubbish.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32I'm speechless! Well, not for long because I'm too outraged.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37What I don't get is why the litter-thrower didn't put this lot out for the bin men to take away.
0:37:37 > 0:37:42It was just pure ignorance on her part.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47She probably didn't care about what was going on.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50She didn't care about what or who it was affecting.
0:37:50 > 0:37:56The rubbish wasn't just dirty and unsightly. It was attracting something much worse.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01When we cleared it, there was evidence of rodents, rat infestations as well,
0:38:01 > 0:38:06so this whole alleyway down here was pretty disgusting.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10It was dangerous too - evidence of broken bottles on the pathway.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13This story just gets worse and worse, doesn't it?
0:38:13 > 0:38:19With my boys being here and me just being moved in, I was quite concerned with what was going on
0:38:19 > 0:38:22because obviously the bottles were breaking.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27I couldn't let my children in the garden while things were being thrown out.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30I really did think about moving.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35That's outrageous. No-one should be driven from their home by a litter lout.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Anna needed to get to the bottom of this and fast.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43Luckily, there was evidence in the rubbish that suggested it had come from Mark's neighbour.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47There were nine letters which had her name and address,
0:38:47 > 0:38:51which can show us then that the waste is from her.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56Nine letters - that's pretty good evidence. Anna tried to do it the nice way.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01She knocked on the lady's door, wrote letters and invited her in for an interview,
0:39:01 > 0:39:06but the woman ignored the lot and she carried on chucking her rubbish over the fence.
0:39:06 > 0:39:12The second time, there was less waste, because it re-occurred after a couple of months.
0:39:12 > 0:39:18And I think there was something like 13 stone again worth of waste.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22It was time to get tough. There was only one thing for it.
0:39:22 > 0:39:28The council approached me and asked me if cameras could be put up,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31so they can film over a period of time
0:39:31 > 0:39:35to see if they can catch whoever was throwing this rubbish away.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Covert surveillance - that should do it.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43They placed the cameras on the window sill pointing out the window,
0:39:43 > 0:39:49facing the actual fence way, so you could actually see clearly the back door.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52And less than 24 hours later...
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Gotcha!
0:39:55 > 0:40:00It was quite funny really because everybody knew the camera was there.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05When the rubbish came over, I was actually in the garden at the time.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09I thought, "That's it - caught 'em!"
0:40:09 > 0:40:12That's the look of one relieved man.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Let's take a look at what the camera saw.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19This is the fence and this is obviously the lady's house here.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22What you can see is her periodically come out,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26lift up pieces of rubbish from by the fence and actually throw it over
0:40:26 > 0:40:32I've never seen anything like this in my life. What on earth was this woman thinking?
0:40:32 > 0:40:37It seems such a bizarre case that someone would do something like this.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42You can see from the CCTV footage that she comes out with her rubbish and places it by the fence.
0:40:42 > 0:40:47She then goes away, comes back and it's almost like she looks around,
0:40:47 > 0:40:53takes a piece of rubbish out, throws it over the fence, goes away and does something else,
0:40:53 > 0:40:58comes back and repeats that behaviour, so it's a really strange case.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01And this is an ongoing issue.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05From the amount of waste that we found there on both occasions,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07she was doing this on a regular basis.
0:41:07 > 0:41:13Once Anna and her team had got the footage, they went through it with a fine-tooth comb.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17You can see she's got a milk carton and a soft drinks carton.
0:41:17 > 0:41:23Then a little later, you can see each carton actually flying over the fence.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25And then there's a crisp packet.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30The evidence was overwhelming. The woman was charged and taken to court.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Just wait until you hear her explanation.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37She said she thought there was a skip behind here.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40Well, the space isn't big enough for a skip.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44She was sentenced to 120 hours' community service
0:41:44 > 0:41:48and you can have a wry smile when you hear what she had to do.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51It was quite an apt punishment really
0:41:51 > 0:41:54because she ended up causing the rubbish
0:41:54 > 0:42:00and then she was given community service to clean other people's rubbish up.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03And I thought, "Yeah, justice!"
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Justice indeed!
0:42:05 > 0:42:11The woman moved out of the house shortly afterwards and there have been no problems since.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13What a result!
0:42:17 > 0:42:22And an update on the arrests after the raid on the site of illegal waste yards.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26Three people were arrested including a father and son team
0:42:26 > 0:42:30running this breaker's yard without the right permits.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34They've now all changed the way they work, so won't be charged.
0:42:34 > 0:42:40They've agreed to only handle low-risk waste which means recovering and re-using car parts,
0:42:40 > 0:42:45but they're not allowed to remove oils, fluids and hazardous components,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48the stuff you need an environmental permit for,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51so three operators are now working legally. Result!
0:42:53 > 0:42:58Across Britain, our environment enforcers are working tirelessly
0:42:58 > 0:43:02to make our country a cleaner and greener place to live.
0:43:02 > 0:43:07Join us next time when we'll be chasing down more filthy, rotten scoundrels.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2011
0:43:27 > 0:43:30Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk