0:00:02 > 0:00:05Every day, a never-ending war is being waged across Britain
0:00:05 > 0:00:07to clean up our towns and countryside.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10I really hope these people are brought to court
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and they go to prison over this.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16I could actually cry when I see this, because it's such a mess.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20From the tons of cigarettes butts, dogs' mess and household rubbish
0:00:20 > 0:00:24to mountains of tyres and skip-loads of builders' waste...
0:00:24 > 0:00:29Glass bottles there. Er, cans...
0:00:29 > 0:00:31The vast majority of the stuff what's been dumped here
0:00:31 > 0:00:34could have been recycled.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38They've no respect for anybody. It's absolutely disgusting.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42We're on the front line of the clear-up and the fight-back,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46with the dedicated teams tracking down the rogues
0:00:46 > 0:00:48and putting the Great back into Britain.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51It may harm your defence if you fail to mention, when questioned,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54something you later rely on in court.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57On today's programme, a father-and-son team of fly-tippers
0:00:57 > 0:01:02wreak havoc in Middlesbrough. But guess who's looking at you, kid!
0:01:02 > 0:01:05If you have an area where people think they can dump things,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07it brings the whole area down.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11And we take a trip down to sunny Cornwall,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14only to uncover the grim state of our precious beaches.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19A plastic bottle can take between 450 years and 1,000 years to break down.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Welcome to the dirty world of Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43First today, take a breath of fresh air.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45This is gorgeous South Wales,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49renowned for its idyllic countryside.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Let's just pause for a second to take in those views.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Beautiful!
0:01:56 > 0:01:58It's a place where sheep roam freely
0:01:58 > 0:02:02and fishermen while away the hours by picturesque rivers.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Looks perfect, doesn't it? What could possibly spoil it?
0:02:10 > 0:02:15You guessed it - this horrible, horrible muck,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18an astonishing amount of rubbish just dumped
0:02:18 > 0:02:21by filthy rascals who couldn't give a monkey's
0:02:21 > 0:02:23about our stunning landscape.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And the locals are devastated.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30As you can see, it's incredibly beautiful.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Primarily I use the area for fishing, and one of the things is,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36it is spoiling the area, and it's a great shame
0:02:36 > 0:02:39that you do have, unfortunately, people now fly-tipping,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43but it is in particular a problem in rural areas like this,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47you know, areas which are isolated and remote,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and people can fly tip without being detected.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56It's disgusting. Mark Sabine, from the Environment Agency in Wales,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00is leading the fight-back. And what a job he's got on his hands!
0:03:04 > 0:03:08'We've got real problems with fly-tipping in our rivers,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11'and down on the Lliedi here, it's typical, I guess,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14'of the problems that we face in the South Wales valleys.'
0:03:14 > 0:03:17This is a regular inspection for Mark,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and it's not long before he stumbles across some trash.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22'Strewth! You can't miss it.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Who on Earth would chuck a whole door in this lovely river?
0:03:26 > 0:03:30We've had to walk up the river now for a few hundred yards
0:03:30 > 0:03:33to get to this spot. There are properties on either bank,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36so there's no access for us. The only way we can get in
0:03:36 > 0:03:38is by walking up the river channel.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41If we try and take the material out, it's really difficult for us.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45We've got to manually carry all that down the river.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48It's really difficult, dangerous, and expensive
0:03:48 > 0:03:50for the taxpayer, as well.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53So, Mark, what are we talking? Just the odd bit of waste
0:03:53 > 0:03:56that won't quite fit in the dustbin?
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- So, there's plastic bags... - Well, I expected that.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02There's a bag of rubbish, household rubbish,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05more black bags full of domestic waste over there...
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Under the trees we've got footballs.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Football? Well, maybe that just got booted over by mistake.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Up there there's a folding table and chairs.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21An entire picnic set! This is starting to sound like a home-shopping catalogue.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23And over here...
0:04:23 > 0:04:26one of the things that causes us real problems.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29We've got a mattress wedged under the trees. Oop!
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Ouch! Look out, mate. You don't want to take a nosedive into this lot.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Fairly innocuous, but as soon as you throw one of these into a river,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40they become absolutely sodden. They weigh an absolute ton then.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43It's very difficult for us to remove them and get them out.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45A mattress! It just beggars belief.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Keep walking a bit further up.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Now, this is getting ridiculous.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56In the trees above me up there you've got bits of carpet
0:04:56 > 0:05:00that have been thrown in, timber, plastic crates up on the bank.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03In the river next to me
0:05:03 > 0:05:07you've got bits of wood that's been used for DIY.
0:05:07 > 0:05:13I don't know about you, but suddenly this is no joking matter.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17So, in front of me we've got children's toys
0:05:17 > 0:05:21been dumped in the river, bike tyres,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23a concrete post...
0:05:23 > 0:05:26That grey box up there,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28that's a TV.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Right. That's it. I've heard enough. This is completely outrageous.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35There's no proof of where any of this rubbish came from.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38The nearby properties will get leaflets
0:05:38 > 0:05:41warning them about fly-tipping, but without any solid evidence
0:05:41 > 0:05:46to link specific people to this, that's as far as it can go.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Personally I find it disgusting
0:05:48 > 0:05:51that people treat the environment like this.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53People might think chucking the odd bag of rubbish
0:05:53 > 0:05:57or even a TV into the river isn't doing anyone any harm.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02But later in the programme, we'll see the devastation suffered
0:06:02 > 0:06:06by one family after fly-tipping caused the river to burst its banks.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12- The front porch over here filled up to about two foot...- Yeah.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17..deep with water, and it was only sandbags on this secondary door
0:06:17 > 0:06:19that stopped the water coming into the house.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28From the tranquil South Wales countryside
0:06:28 > 0:06:31to the streets of London, where a street battle is being fought
0:06:31 > 0:06:36against an unusual thief, stealing, of all things, dustbins.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Is it empty, that one?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41In the heart of the East End, officers from Tower Hamlets
0:06:41 > 0:06:45have uncovered a baffling operation. Council bins are being stolen
0:06:45 > 0:06:49from outside the shops and businesses using them.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54They're then being re-sprayed and somehow reappearing on the streets
0:06:54 > 0:06:58in their new guise, leased back to the innocent and unsuspecting businesses
0:06:58 > 0:07:00who assume they're legit.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06You know your blue bin out the back? It's been seized.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11What's odd about this is no-one's ever noticed them being nicked.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13And we're not talking about a pedal bin here!
0:07:13 > 0:07:17These beauties are massive. They won't fit in your average swag bag.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20And it's not just the odd one that's disappeared.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Tower Hamlets Council alone is losing up to 100 bins a week.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30It's leaving local businesses like shops and restaurants
0:07:30 > 0:07:33out of pocket, and with nowhere to put their rubbish.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37And wait until you hear how much money's at stake.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40It costs the council, and that means council taxpayers -
0:07:40 > 0:07:44people like you and me - £160,000 a year.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Unbelievable! As one of the most deprived boroughs in the country,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51that's money that should be spent on the local people
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and what they really need.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58What they've done is stolen the bin from all other boroughs
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and then put them out to customers in this borough.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06The council needs their bins back,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09so they teamed up with the police to launch a surprise raid
0:08:09 > 0:08:12on a site where they think they might find some stolen bins.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17That is just what has been stolen in August to December.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21That's not including the placements. That's not including lost revenue.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24The figure is more likely to be 60, 70 grand.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Ouch! Tower Hamlets investigating officer Dave Masters
0:08:33 > 0:08:35is in charge of the case.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40Towards the latter end of 2010, about September,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44we started getting reports from our contractor, Veolia,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47that there were bins appearing on the streets in Tower Hamlets
0:08:47 > 0:08:51which had been re-sprayed. Some of them had markings on them
0:08:51 > 0:08:55from Hackney Council, and some of them had markings from Tower Hamlets,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58London Borough of Greenwich, and they'd been re-sprayed,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02and we were losing waste contracts to these businesses
0:09:02 > 0:09:04where the bins were appearing.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08It all sounded rather fishy,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10and it probably smelt a bit fishy, too.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13So now Dave is on a mission to get all his bins back
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and stop whoever's stealing them from doing it again.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20As well as the police raid, he and his team are hitting the streets
0:09:20 > 0:09:23to try and recover as many of the bins as he can.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28If caught, the cheeky bin thieves could face up to two years in prison
0:09:28 > 0:09:32and an unlimited fine, so let's all play detective on this one.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35What are we looking for, Dave?
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Hackney bins are normally green. But what's happened is,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41the bin has been re-sprayed. The manufacturer's plate
0:09:41 > 0:09:44is still on the back of it, with the original serial number,
0:09:44 > 0:09:49and Hackney Council keep records of their serial numbers,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53and has confirmed to us that the bins in Tower Hamlets
0:09:53 > 0:09:56are the same serial numbers of the bins they've had stolen.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01To purchase these containers,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05we'd be looking at about £450 a go for the large bulk bins,
0:10:05 > 0:10:10and if you consider there are about 40 of them dotted around,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14you're looking at around £15,000 to £20,000 worth of bin,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16which they've also saved.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21So it's fairly big business, and this is an expanding empire.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24We're finding more bins turning up every week,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28more bins being stolen, so we really do need to get to grips with it,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and nip it in the bud now.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33So today is D-day -
0:10:33 > 0:10:35or, should I say, bin day.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Dave and a team of police officers are launching a top-secret sting
0:10:39 > 0:10:42in the hopes of recovering a stash of stolen bins.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It's 8:30 AM, and the operation is about to begin.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Dave Masters has been out on hundreds of these raids,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and never knows how they'll turn out.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58The adrenaline is pumping. They're heading to a yard
0:10:58 > 0:11:01where they suspect there are some council bins.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04We don't know what to expect. We're with the police.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06The site's going to be secured before we go in.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12The site is huge, and littered with bins, if you'll pardon the pun.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17The raid team's got a massive job on its hands
0:11:17 > 0:11:22to identify if any of the bins are marked with council serial numbers.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25But just as everyone's getting stuck in,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28the police make a dramatic discovery.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Basically we've had explosive officers go in
0:11:33 > 0:11:38and we've found 250 fog-warning signals
0:11:38 > 0:11:42that normally go on the rails of British Rail and Crossrail.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46They're not illegal, but these devices can generate a blast
0:11:46 > 0:11:48powerful enough to blind or maim.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54The atmosphere has now changed. Things are getting very tense.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Everyone is cleared off the site immediately.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01SIREN WAILS
0:12:01 > 0:12:04The raid is halted, and the emergency services are called in
0:12:04 > 0:12:07to assess the situation.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Just looking at that, it looks totally innocuous,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14but apparently it's got the potential to blow the whole yard up.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Quite incredible, really.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18You never know what you're going into,
0:12:18 > 0:12:23and I must admit I didn't expect that, to have to evacuate the yard where explosives were.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Find out later if the situation is defused,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31and if Dave and his team are allowed back on site
0:12:31 > 0:12:34to investigate if any of the bins are in fact stolen.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40In 2010 in North Tyneside,
0:12:40 > 0:12:45building rubbish was being dumped in the car park of a derelict pub.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Not just a bit. Not just the odd bagful...
0:12:50 > 0:12:52..but truckloads of the stuff.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00Sadly, this kind of thing is an all-too-familiar sight.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03North Tyneside Council gets over 1,000 calls a year
0:13:03 > 0:13:06reporting fly-tipping, and they spend - wait for it -
0:13:06 > 0:13:11£100,000 every year clearing up all the rubbish.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Yet again, that's council-tax money that should be better spent.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Local residents have had enough.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22I'll be quite honest with you. I'm pretty well disgusted.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26They're just dumping it all over the area.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28There's no need for it.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33It does make me upset, because I don't want to live somewhere
0:13:33 > 0:13:37where my kids can't go out, if there's smashed TVs and glasses lying around.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43These people are consistently being inconsiderate of the fact
0:13:43 > 0:13:47that people do live there, and the fact that it's not on their doorstep
0:13:47 > 0:13:49makes it all right. Obviously that's not the case.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The people who's doing this should definitely be heavily fined,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59cos there's no excuse. No excuse whatsoever.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The council does take fly-tipping seriously.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Filthy rotten scoundrels face fines of up to £50,000.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09But that clearly doesn't bother some people,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12because they're making money out of dumping rubbish like this
0:14:12 > 0:14:15on our streets. The guys who did this
0:14:15 > 0:14:18were operating a waste-disposal business,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21merrily charging ordinary people to get rid of their building rubble.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24But instead of disposing of it properly,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27they just dumped it and pocketed the dosh. Disgusting!
0:14:27 > 0:14:30The sort of people that do this, in my opinion, are parasites.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34They could run a legitimate business, and they could charge the going rate
0:14:34 > 0:14:37for disposal of waste. There's no need for it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It spoils people's quality of lives, and it's unacceptable.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Unacceptable indeed. What's worse is that this isn't any old car park.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49This pub, ladies and gentlemen, is right next to a World Heritage site.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53People come down to use the site and enjoy coming to the area.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56If you have an area where people think they can just dump things,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59it brings the whole area down. As a council,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02we're trying to improve the area, bring jobs,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and let local people come here and enjoy it. We're going to develop it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09We can't do that when people have no regard for other people.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14North Tyneside is in the midst of a huge regeneration programme,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and since 2010, the council has been working hard
0:15:17 > 0:15:20to make this area better for everyone.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23So it was all the more galling that that hard work
0:15:23 > 0:15:25was being ruined by this.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30The area had become a prime location for fly-tipping.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Just take a look at this lot -
0:15:32 > 0:15:35insulation material, all kinds of wood,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40and a whopping 22 bags of red gravel. Don't these people care?
0:15:40 > 0:15:44But the council weren't going to stand by and let the bad guys win.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47They started scouring the CCTV footage
0:15:47 > 0:15:51covering the car park, and they struck gold.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53They caught the crooks red-handed.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Just wait till you see this.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57As you can see here, they've got a flatbed truck.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01They've pulled onto an industrial estate within North Tyneside.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04This is the second occasion they were seen in this area,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08and this time they start fly-tipping. They're on the top of the vehicle
0:16:08 > 0:16:10and they're removing items from the vehicle,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14and throwing it into the local area. They've got wood, carpet, PVC.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18It was shocking. Over a two-day period,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21the CCTV caught these filthy scoundrels
0:16:21 > 0:16:24dumping over three and a half tons of waste in the car park.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27That's over seven skips' worth of rubbish to me and you.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31They continue to dump quite happily. They think they can't be seen.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34The CCTV operator has panned and got their identity,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and he's actually phoned the police at this point.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41The net was closing in. The police were racing to the scene.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45At this point we believe they can hear the police coming into the area,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48so they do make a fast escape, or do try to.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51As you can see, the son runs round to the front of the vehicle,
0:16:51 > 0:16:56and they get in. As you can see, the CCTV operator got their registration,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00which is really important, to confirm the identity of these people.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04And they do at this point make an attempt to leave the site.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07They still believe they've got away with the offence,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and they make their way up the hill.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12But wait till you see what happens next.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14You do see the police come into shot...
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Crikey! This is turning into The Sweeney.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19..and stop them for the offence.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Busted!
0:17:21 > 0:17:23They turned out to be a father-and-son team.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25That's some family business.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Walter and Keith Henderson had been driving from ten miles away
0:17:29 > 0:17:33to dump their illegal loads. Not in your own back yards, then, lads, eh?
0:17:33 > 0:17:38In October 2010, they were charged with two offences of fly-tipping
0:17:38 > 0:17:41and one offence of not having a waste-carrier's licence.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45They were fined £300 each, but on top of that
0:17:45 > 0:17:47they were sentenced to 12 months' community work.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51That's a year to make up for the mess they caused.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54It took two days to remove the waste that was left behind
0:17:54 > 0:17:58at a cost of £450. These people had £600 costs to pay,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02and 300 hours of community service. If they had done the job properly,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06it would have cost them nothing, and they would have made a profit.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09But instead they choose to behave like this,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- which in my opinion is unacceptable. - Well, you can say that again.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Back to Llanelli in South Wales,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24where fly-tipping into the river has reached epidemic proportions.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34But the one thing about all this rubbish
0:18:34 > 0:18:37is that it's not just an eyesore and a pain in the backside
0:18:37 > 0:18:40to clear up. This rubbish poses a genuine threat
0:18:40 > 0:18:43to every ordinary householder in the town.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47The watercourse itself flows directly underneath Llanelli town centre
0:18:47 > 0:18:49just a few hundred yards downstream of here.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52If these items get washed down the river in floods,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55they can get jammed in the culvert, which is a big tunnel,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58and that can then cause flooding for local residents.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Andy and Laura Pearce live here with their five young children.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Just a matter of months after they moved in,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10a rascal dumped a load of rubbish in the river, blocking it up,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14and the family woke up to one of the worst days of their lives.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24A mess that take your breath away.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32The entire driveway here was covered in water.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35We tried to close the gates to stop more getting in,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38but it was ineffective, and too difficult to close.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41The water came all the way up to the garage doors,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44so we had to sandbag both the garage doors
0:19:44 > 0:19:46to avoid water getting into the garage
0:19:46 > 0:19:49and wrecking what we've got stored in the garage,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and the entire garden, again, was completely under water
0:19:52 > 0:19:55to the level of a couple of feet,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58so it was a real mess around here.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06The whole area was floating with other people's rubbish.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11The bins were due to be collected that day that the flooding happened,
0:20:11 > 0:20:16and there was people's rubbish bags floating into the driveway.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20What a nightmare! And as the day wore on,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22that nightmare got worse.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25The Environment Agency arrived at Andy and Laura's house
0:20:25 > 0:20:28to help with sandbags to put in all the doorways,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31but the water was rising, and it wasn't long
0:20:31 > 0:20:35before water started seeping in through the front door.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39- The front porch over here filled up to about two foot...- Yeah.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44..deep with water, and it was only the sandbags on this secondary door
0:20:44 > 0:20:47that stopped the water coming into the house.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49The floodwater was so high out on the road,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52it was coming up to the top of our wall,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54which is three foot high.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57And with rain forecast, the whole street spent a terrifying night
0:20:57 > 0:21:01not knowing whether the water would force its way into their homes.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Some were luckier than others.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Our elderly neighbours flooded so badly
0:21:05 > 0:21:09they needed lifting out of their house in the middle of the night.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Because the water had come in so deeply, they had to be taken out.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17In fact it was 24 hours before the water started to subside.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19But the damage had already been done.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23The consequences of the flood to us were awful.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27The house was filthy. The floodwater was really dirty.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29The sand that came in with the water
0:21:29 > 0:21:32made it really difficult to clear up.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34There was quite a bit of damage to the house.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37The whole of the garden was covered in debris and rubbish,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41and rats at the back of our house and patio area.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43It took the Pearces days to clean the mess,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47and set them back thousands of pounds to fix the damage.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51The 24-hour rescue operation also ran into thousands of pounds
0:21:51 > 0:21:55for the Environment Agency, and all because some selfish scoundrel
0:21:55 > 0:21:58couldn't be bothered to chuck out their rubbish responsibly.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Now we've realised that it was actually fly-tipping
0:22:02 > 0:22:05that caused that flood, it does make me really angry
0:22:05 > 0:22:08when I think about it. I don't think people that chuck stuff in rivers,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11like tyres, mattresses, huge amounts of rubbish,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15actually have any idea of the amount of stress and upset
0:22:15 > 0:22:17that it can cause people.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19And nowhere is that stress more evident
0:22:19 > 0:22:22than for Andy and Laura's neighbours.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26The elderly neighbours, their house was actually flooded
0:22:26 > 0:22:30quite seriously, and they have really suffered because of it,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and want to move house, and it's a really sad situation
0:22:33 > 0:22:36that someone has to move out of a retirement home
0:22:36 > 0:22:39because of what's happened with people dumping rubbish into the river.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41That is terribly sad.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45These rotten rogues just had no idea of the long-term effect
0:22:45 > 0:22:48their selfish actions are having on decent people.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50If we'd had to make a large insurance claim
0:22:50 > 0:22:53we probably wouldn't have got insurance again,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56and the value of the house potentially dropped,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00so it has affected us, and has got long-term consequences, potentially.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05And later we'll join the battle to beat these filthy rotten scoundrels.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Quite often, if it is on a big incident,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11it's not a very safe place to be.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14It's a very dangerous place to come down.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Say goodbye to the Welsh valleys now and hello again to the Big Smoke,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31as we catch up with enforcement officer Dave Masters,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34who's trying to recover hundreds of these monsters
0:23:34 > 0:23:37that have been nicked from the streets of East London.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40The problem's got so bad, he's called in the boys in blue.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Is it empty, that one?
0:23:46 > 0:23:50But there's another part to this operation, too.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Dave's colleague Geoff Pollock is out on the streets,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56and his job is to recover as many stolen bins as he can,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59to return them to their rightful homes.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03The sad thing is that he's going to be taking them away
0:24:03 > 0:24:05from innocent shop-owners and companies
0:24:05 > 0:24:09who have unwittingly been paying good money to lease the bins
0:24:09 > 0:24:11believing they were all legit.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Geoff's got a difficult job on his hands.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29He's got to break the bad news about what's really been going on.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32The businesses will be surprised and they will be...
0:24:32 > 0:24:34maybe a little bit annoyed as well.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Basically the bins that we are picking up
0:24:37 > 0:24:41have been identified as having been stolen.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Hopefully we can tie these in to where they have been stolen from
0:24:45 > 0:24:48with the use of serial numbers.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Geoff's first port of call is a brewery.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Hello, there, sir. I'm from Tower Hamlets Council.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- Basically we're here for... - I'm head of facilities.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07- Hello.- I saw your guys taking my bins out the back.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Yeah. They're being seized as part of a criminal investigation.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15These bins aren't ours. They're third party. We hire a company.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19It comes as a big shock to the company's manager,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23who had no idea what's been going on.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25What's happened is, these have been stolen
0:25:25 > 0:25:30- from other local authorities.- OK. - They're re-spraying them.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32As you can see, the bin was originally black.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34So they've re-sprayed it blue.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40It's a real blow for this business. They've acted in good faith,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and had no idea their hard-earned cash
0:25:43 > 0:25:45was paying for dodgy dustbins.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Unfortunately, they're about to lose any bins
0:25:47 > 0:25:50that look like they belong to the council.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53We went out to tender for our contract on the recycling,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and this company come in, and they were the cheapest,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59and they've give us a great service since we've been here.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02We've had the bins taken every day and replaced with new bins,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04and we are absolutely shocked.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07You can just make out the markings
0:26:07 > 0:26:12of an H...A...C...K.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15They've sort of sanded it off on the front, haven't they?
0:26:15 > 0:26:18But what they haven't realised, it's on the inside.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25The markings prove the bins belong to Hackney Council,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29and shouldn't be in Tower Hamlets where this business is based.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32The bins are loaded onto the van and taken back to the council depot
0:26:32 > 0:26:34where they belong.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Unfortunately the bins that are on hire to his company
0:26:39 > 0:26:41have been stolen.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Geoff moves on to the high street in his unenviable task
0:26:45 > 0:26:48of breaking the news to innocent business owners
0:26:48 > 0:26:51that their bins actually belong to him.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Can you confirm whether you're the owner of that blue bin there?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00You know the bin outside that you've got, the blue bin?
0:27:00 > 0:27:02It's going to be seized.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- Nothing you've done wrong.- OK. - You've entered into an agreement.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10This bin thief isn't just taking the council for a ride,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12but these poor guys too.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14They'll now have to pay out for new ones.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20They've all been fairly agreeable about their bins being seized,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23and they realise that something serious is going on.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29It is a serious business, and Geoff knows he needs strong evidence
0:27:29 > 0:27:32to smash this highly organised scam once and for all.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Once we get to the storage facility,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39we'll obviously have a count-up of how many bins we've got,
0:27:39 > 0:27:44and log 'em all, and hopefully we can match some of the serial numbers up.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Back at the yard, the site's been given the all-clear
0:27:51 > 0:27:53from the explosives team, and Dave and the police carry on
0:27:53 > 0:27:56with their search.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58There are quite a few bins I haven't even seen yet,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02so I'm keen to get over there and have a look at them.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05It's been quite eventful so far, so who knows what else we'll find?
0:28:08 > 0:28:11And finally Dave's patience pays off.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15He discovers a couple of dozen bins stolen from councils
0:28:15 > 0:28:18all over London. They're seized and added to the haul
0:28:18 > 0:28:20that Geoff's been picking up, too.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23It's been a successful operation.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29We've removed approximately 20, 25 bins from this location today,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32from the yard, and we've been speaking to colleagues
0:28:32 > 0:28:35who've been going around East London and Essex retrieving bins,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39and in total we believe we've returned about 90 bins
0:28:39 > 0:28:43to our depots today from various locations and customers
0:28:43 > 0:28:46using the containers from this company.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50It's been a great day, and a happy ending to the extraordinary tale
0:28:50 > 0:28:53of mysteriously disappearing bins.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02Let's get away from the grimy streets of London
0:29:02 > 0:29:05and head to the beautiful beaches of Cornwall.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Who doesn't just love the seaside?
0:29:07 > 0:29:11The sand between your toes, the sun on your face,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14the wind in your hair! And just look at those waves.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18I'm tempted to get my cozzy on and dive right in. Beautiful!
0:29:21 > 0:29:23But it's not all so picturesque.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26The reality - junk.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28It's on our beaches and in the sea.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32And unless the British public change their disgusting habits,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35it's going to get a whole lot worse.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38It's really horrible, as a local, to walk on the beach
0:29:38 > 0:29:41with rubbish. You can get glass, there's plastic everywhere,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44and it's revolting swimming with things around you.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47It's not very good. People are leaving glass, bottles and needles.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50It's dangerous, because you stand on them.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Today, Surfers Against Sewage,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57a group of surf-mad environmentalists,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01are waging a war against the filth ruining Porthtowan Beach
0:30:01 > 0:30:03in Cornwall.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07The group was set up in 1990 by surfers,
0:30:07 > 0:30:11who are fed up of getting sick after going in the filthy sea.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Now it's a nationwide campaign,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16cleaning up hundreds of British beaches.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19And let me tell you, these guys mean business.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Dominic Ferris and Hugo Tagholm are heading today's mission.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31They plan to clean up 14 beaches over the next four months.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Good on you, fellas!
0:30:35 > 0:30:37People are affected by the litter on our beaches,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40surfers who love their beach. It's a horrible thing to see.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43That's the first part. We can talk about barbecue litter,
0:30:43 > 0:30:46or glass bottles. Again, very easy to see
0:30:46 > 0:30:49how that's affecting people, and especially children,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52who are getting cut and hurt. Then we go a little bit deeper,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and the plastics are causing a big problem in the food chain.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59They're harming marine life, and if they're harming marine life,
0:30:59 > 0:31:01it's going to work its way up to us.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Now, that's what I call a man with a passion,
0:31:04 > 0:31:05and with good reason, too.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09It's estimated that 70 percent of rubbish
0:31:09 > 0:31:11that gets thrown on our beaches or in the sea
0:31:11 > 0:31:15will sink to the sea bed, where it becomes a permanent hazard
0:31:15 > 0:31:17to marine life.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21If we can get a big kind of staged and arty semicircle,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24we're going to talk to you about a few things.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28All these people are volunteers, giving up their time
0:31:28 > 0:31:30to clean up other people's mess
0:31:30 > 0:31:32and preserve the beauty of Cornwall's beaches.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35We all love our beaches. I'm hoping you guys are all here
0:31:35 > 0:31:38because you love the beach and want to help us look after it.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43The amount of marine litter has doubled in the last 15 years, and that was bad to start with,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46so where there was 1,000 bits of litter there's now 2,000.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48It's a massive problem.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50You tell them how it is, Dominic.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Imagine you're a turtle, everyone.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55You're swimming along, and you're hungry.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57What does a plastic bag look like to you?
0:31:57 > 0:32:01It looks like a jellyfish. So due to ingesting, eating plastic,
0:32:01 > 0:32:05and getting tangled up in plastic, over a million seabirds
0:32:05 > 0:32:10and over 100,000 seals, dolphins and turtles
0:32:10 > 0:32:12are dying each year because we're too lazy
0:32:12 > 0:32:15to look after our litter properly.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19And for all you people who think you can leave your cigarette butt
0:32:19 > 0:32:22on the sand and it will magically disappear, listen to this.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27- How many of those do you think go into the sea each year, around the world?- A billion.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30- Up again.- A trillion.- 4.2 trillion.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33It's something like the amount of grains of sand on this beach.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37But look - just one cigarette butt pollutes that much water.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Imagine 4.2 trillion, what they're doing,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43killing water fleas, killing fish. OK?
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Well said, Dom. And there's one last incentive for today's volunteers.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50We got prizes for the top five weirdest things
0:32:50 > 0:32:54found on the beach today, and we want you to decorate the weird fish -
0:32:54 > 0:32:58we call it the weird fish - much like a Christmas tree. OK?
0:32:58 > 0:33:02I like the sound of that. Looks like Christmas might have come early.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04We've got bin-bags and gloves over here.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08Thank you very much for coming, and please have a nice afternoon.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11And they're off!
0:33:12 > 0:33:15First the volunteers collect their beach-cleaning kit,
0:33:15 > 0:33:19consisting of rubbish bags, protective gloves and boxes,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22just in case they find any needles.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25The clean-up of this wonderful Cornish beach
0:33:25 > 0:33:28will go on for two hours. Split into teams,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31the volunteers will comb the beach, looking for general litter,
0:33:31 > 0:33:35plastic bags, glass, fishing nets, fag butts...
0:33:35 > 0:33:40I'm afraid this list just goes on and on.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43A bit like me, I suppose!
0:33:43 > 0:33:46Even Dominic still gets shocked
0:33:46 > 0:33:49by what people think is OK to just leave on the beach.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Some of the most shocking things we find
0:33:53 > 0:33:56are hypodermic needles, freshly used hypodermic needles.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58It's always disgusting to find those.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02One really scary thing is when we find upturned broken glass bottles,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05especially areas, that is, where people have been drinking.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09And one that's really worrying, and it's only a matter of time
0:34:09 > 0:34:12before a horrific accident happens, is still warm, still hot barbecues
0:34:12 > 0:34:17that have been buried by someone too lazy to dispose of them properly.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19A lot of people come down here on holiday,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22and you don't mind seeing seaweed cos it's natural,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25but when it's full of rope and other sort of litter,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27it's not good, and people don't want to see it.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30And that's not even the worst of it.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33What you're about to hear is truly revolting.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38We're actually seeing used tampons, used condoms, tampon applicators,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42cotton-bud sticks, coming into contact with people in the water,
0:34:42 > 0:34:46children actually picking these things up. It's disgusting.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48You're not wrong there, mate. Ugh!
0:34:48 > 0:34:51I used to work as a lifeguard in Somerset,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54and all I dealt with was people cutting their feet on glass.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57It was locals throwing it over the harbour wall.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00People still do that, even though they know it's a problem.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Most of it's bits of rope like this, some bits a bit longer,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06and bottle caps, plastics washed up. They don't go away.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08They just stay here forever.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Thank goodness there are people out there
0:35:12 > 0:35:14who are proud of our British beaches.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17The reason to keep the beaches clean
0:35:17 > 0:35:20is for...you know, to be proud of England,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24and for visitors coming here to feel that they can go onto a beach
0:35:24 > 0:35:27without having to worry about a load of litter
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and glass on the beach.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33You tell 'em! Right. I want to hear more.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Well, it affects everybody.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40I mean, obviously the children playing in the area
0:35:40 > 0:35:45can quite easily get caught up in glass or other things.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50If it wasn't for people like this lovely lady
0:35:50 > 0:35:54giving up their time to clear up after filthy rotten scoundrels,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57just imagine what our beaches might look like.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11It's really important to have a clean beach
0:36:11 > 0:36:14so we don't have to worry about the children playing in the sand
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and picking up anything that's a concern to us.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21And obviously it looks a lot nicer to come to a clean beach.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24It's 30 minutes into the big clean-up,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27so what have our beach cleaners found so far?
0:36:27 > 0:36:31Mainly the things I'm finding is, like, string
0:36:31 > 0:36:35and rope, beer, bottles, cans.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39Finding a lot of little pieces of rope and fishing line,
0:36:39 > 0:36:43and found a few fishing hooks and things like that.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46You don't want to get one of those stuck in your foot.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49The volunteers have done a great job so far.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52They've taken a lot of stuff off. We've got stuff like this.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55This is off somebody using the beach. They should have recycled it.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59A plastic bottle can take between 450 years and 1,000 years to break down
0:36:59 > 0:37:02in the environment, so it's better it's off the beach
0:37:02 > 0:37:05and recycled properly. Got all sorts of other stuff
0:37:05 > 0:37:07that's arrived directly from people using the beach,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11things like biscuit wrappers, sweet wrappers, cans...
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Um, we've got dangerous items.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18I've seen a bit of metal just over here.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Obviously something like this, a bit of rusty metal on the beach,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24it's got screws in it. Bits of barbed wire -
0:37:24 > 0:37:27this sort of stuff can obviously cut people, injure people.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32It's pretty.... It shouldn't be on the beach in the first place.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40It's coming to the end of the clean-up now,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42and each pile of rubbish is being weighed...
0:37:42 > 0:37:45- What weight we got?- 80. 80 kilos.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49..before being loaded onto trucks to be taken away
0:37:49 > 0:37:51and disposed of properly.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Thank you to everyone for coming today. It's been amazing.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58Today we've collected...considering a lot of small litter, as well,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00so this is an epic amount in lots of tiny bits,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04we've collected 249 kilograms. THEY CHEER
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Well done, guys. That's amazing!
0:38:08 > 0:38:11249 kilograms of rubbish!
0:38:11 > 0:38:14In old money, that's nearly 40 stone...
0:38:15 > 0:38:19..in two hours from this one beach. It's both brilliant and shocking
0:38:19 > 0:38:22all at once.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Now, I almost forgot the weird fish. It's not just been litter
0:38:26 > 0:38:30that our trustworthy volunteers have unearthed today.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33- In first place...- Three shoes.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37- Third prize, guys!- Second place? - THEY GROAN AND LAUGH
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Who found the pants? No-one found the pants.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42And the winner is...
0:38:42 > 0:38:44THEY CHEER
0:38:44 > 0:38:46Toilet seat!
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Toilet seat? How on Earth did that get there?
0:38:50 > 0:38:53But nevertheless the important thing is, it's not there now.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56Even the people that haven't helped today
0:38:56 > 0:38:59have become more aware of the problem of marine litter.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02I'm hoping that not one person today will be littering this beach
0:39:02 > 0:39:06just because of what they've seen, and make them think a bit more
0:39:06 > 0:39:09- about how important the beach is. - And that goes for you lot, too.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Next time you're enjoying a day on the beach,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15make sure you take all your litter home with you -
0:39:15 > 0:39:17and your toilet seat, of course.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27Finally we head back out west to Llanelli in South Wales,
0:39:27 > 0:39:32where fly-tipping has got so serious it's blocking up the lovely river
0:39:32 > 0:39:35and flooding people's homes.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40An ongoing war is being waged day in, day out,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43against the culprits, and Mark is on the front line
0:39:43 > 0:39:45for the good guys.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Despite the fact it's a lovely spring day,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50we can still get flooding. Earlier on this week,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53we had an incident where people had fly-tipped tyres
0:39:53 > 0:39:55into a local watercourse down in Llangennech,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59and the tyres had made their way down the watercourse and got wedged in a flap valve.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03A flap valve is basically a gigantic cat flap
0:40:03 > 0:40:06that stays open for normal flows of water
0:40:06 > 0:40:08and closes as soon as the tide comes in
0:40:08 > 0:40:12to stop it from flooding houses inland - in theory, that is,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15until rubbish interferes with it.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19A tyre got wedged into the flap valve,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21held it open, and it had caused flooding.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24This is the kind of thing the guys from the Environment Agency
0:40:24 > 0:40:28are fighting every day, and keeping those flap valves clear
0:40:28 > 0:40:30is an exhausting job.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32I'm responsible for a team of guys
0:40:32 > 0:40:36which come round to these rivers.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Our main priority is the maintenance
0:40:39 > 0:40:43as far as the flap valves, trash screens,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47any trees, blockages, pollution. All these things are dealt with.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Obviously when you send a team down here,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53quite often, if it is on a big incident,
0:40:53 > 0:40:57it's going to be in the early hours or under darkness,
0:40:57 > 0:41:01and with the rain, it's not a very safe place to be, you know?
0:41:01 > 0:41:04It's a very dangerous place to come down,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07and unfortunately, to think that a lot of this
0:41:07 > 0:41:10is manmade contribution to the problem -
0:41:10 > 0:41:12yeah, it's really sad.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14I couldn't agree more.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Sad, and to be honest, pretty outrageous
0:41:17 > 0:41:21that people like him and his team are having to risk their own lives
0:41:21 > 0:41:24all because of the actions of a few selfish scoundrels.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27We shouldn't be seeing these things washing down
0:41:27 > 0:41:31week after week after week. It's an ongoing problem, unfortunately.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Ideally people would take more responsibility.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36You hear that, fly-tippers?
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Take responsibility for your own rubbish.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43Upstream, the war continues, and they're stepping up the game
0:41:43 > 0:41:46and bringing in the big toys
0:41:46 > 0:41:49to reach the really nasty stuff lurking below the surface.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Today we're using a lorry, and on the back of the lorry
0:42:03 > 0:42:07we've got a special crane that's mounted on there with a grab.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09We're using that to take out of the river
0:42:09 > 0:42:12things like trolleys and mattresses, which are quite light.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16Once they get thrown into a river, they become extremely heavy,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19and it's very difficult to remove it from those watercourses.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23It's all very impressive, but just take a look at the number of people
0:42:23 > 0:42:26who have to get involved in this operation.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29I know I'm in danger of sounding like a broken record here,
0:42:29 > 0:42:34but think of all the time, money and effort that could be better spent
0:42:34 > 0:42:37if we lived in a world without filthy fly-tippers.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Right across Britain, our environment enforcers
0:42:41 > 0:42:43are working tirelessly to make our country
0:42:43 > 0:42:47a cleaner and greener place to live. Join us next time,
0:42:47 > 0:42:51when we'll be chasing down more filthy rotten scoundrels.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:42:56 > 0:43:00E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:43:00 > 0:43:00.