0:00:02 > 0:00:07Every day, a war is being waged across Britain to clean up our towns and countryside.
0:00:07 > 0:00:13I really hope these people are brought to court and go to prison over this.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16I could cry when I see this because it's such a mess.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21From the tons of cigarette butts, dogs' mess and household rubbish
0:00:21 > 0:00:25to mountains of tyres and skiploads of builders' waste...
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Glass bottles there,
0:00:28 > 0:00:29cans...
0:00:29 > 0:00:34The vast majority of this stuff dumped here could have been recycled.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37They've no respect for anybody. It's disgusting.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41We're on the front line of the clear-up and the fightback
0:00:41 > 0:00:48with a dedicated team tracking down the rogues and putting the "great" back into Britain.
0:00:48 > 0:00:54You may harm your defence if you fail to mention something which you later rely on in court.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57On today's programme, the eye in the sky
0:00:57 > 0:01:03that captured this incredible footage and left the brazen fly-tipper with nowhere to hide.
0:01:03 > 0:01:09He just lay back in his chair and he said, "You've got me bang to rights. What can I say?"
0:01:09 > 0:01:13And tracking down the households where dodgy plumbing means
0:01:13 > 0:01:17toilets are being flushed straight into our rivers and streams.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20You might find toilet waste and toilet paper.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24That's because the occasional builder may plumb in a toilet downstairs
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and put that into the wrong sewer system.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Welcome to the dirty world of Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.
0:01:49 > 0:01:55First today, the malodorous matter of dog do. Yes, that pongy pet hate that haunts all of us.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01There's nothing worse than going out for a spot of fresh air, then feeling the dreaded squelch
0:02:01 > 0:02:05as your polished size 9s slip into a putrid pile.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09They should just have more respect for other people and for kids.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14No-one wants to kind of like walk around a park that's covered in dog do.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19It's not doing us justice. We've got kids playing around in the alleys.
0:02:19 > 0:02:25They're coming back with bits on their feet and people are not bothering picking it up.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28And you know, it's like a hygiene problem.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31It stinks, actually.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34If I had a £5 note for every time I stood in dog excrement,
0:02:34 > 0:02:40either getting out of the car or walking about in the street, I'd pay to go on holiday tomorrow.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46In Doncaster, the awful trail of dodgy dog mess has led us
0:02:46 > 0:02:49to the door of local enforcement warden Rob.
0:02:49 > 0:02:56Part of Rob's job is to patrol the green spaces of Doncaster which are packed with dog walkers.
0:02:56 > 0:03:03Unfortunately, some of these areas are heavily littered with dog muck.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07We also make sure that when we're out there,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10we check the areas for dog muck
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and if there's a considerable amount,
0:03:13 > 0:03:18then we would get our cleanse teams to come out and remove it.
0:03:19 > 0:03:25Cleanse teams? That all sounds a bit la-di-da for dealing with what we all know is basically dog poo.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Dog fouling is a real problem for this area.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38It's not a massive problem throughout Doncaster, but in this particular area here,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41we find there's a lot of dog muck.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Oh, God, look at the state of that!
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I'm trying not to, to be honest, Rob.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Anyone got a peg for my nose?
0:03:48 > 0:03:51That's disgraceful. I mean, you've got...
0:03:52 > 0:03:5520-odd dumps of dog muck here.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Obviously, somebody's coming here on a regular basis
0:03:59 > 0:04:03and using this particular area here to dump their dog muck.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05So it's disgraceful.
0:04:05 > 0:04:11You wouldn't let your children or yourself litter the street, so why let your dog do it?
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- I think dog poo's worse than litter. - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19You can just pick up litter and put it in the bin, but dog poo, it's like...
0:04:19 > 0:04:22And it's not your own dog, is it?
0:04:23 > 0:04:26You see, we've got these dog poo bins in.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31There's no reason why this dog fouling should happen on here whatsoever
0:04:31 > 0:04:35because we've got a litter bin and a dog waste bin.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40And what we've had to do is we've had to put signs on the pavement
0:04:40 > 0:04:42to tell people to clear up.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47It's ironic that we put these sort of things in for people to use,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50as in bins, dog waste bins, and they don't use them.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Rob has the authority to issue a fine of £50
0:04:55 > 0:04:59to anyone who fails to clean up after their dog does its business,
0:04:59 > 0:05:06and if they fail to pay, they could land up in the magistrates court and face a much heftier penalty.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12This area also gets quite heavily littered because we've got a lot of street drinkers,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16people drinking beer and leaving cans and bottles hanging about.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20You can see there's some dog muck on the floor here.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25What happens is we would put in what we call an EPA in for this area,
0:05:25 > 0:05:31which basically stands for Environmental Protection Act. We would go round and get this cleared.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37The bins will be emptied, so I'll do that now and put that through to our team.
0:05:37 > 0:05:44Good idea, Rob. The sooner this place gets cleaned up, the sooner I can take this peg off my nose.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Can you put me an EPA in, please?
0:05:48 > 0:05:50For Spencer Avenue, Wheatley.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It'll be the full, the full, um...area.
0:05:55 > 0:06:01People who don't pick up after their dogs are actually spoiling their own communities.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03And they're basically selfish
0:06:03 > 0:06:09because if they don't pick up after their dog, somebody else will have to clear it up, i.e, the council.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12People are going to step in it.
0:06:12 > 0:06:19Children can get it on their hands and they can digest it and get all sorts of problems there.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23It's really scary stuff.
0:06:23 > 0:06:29If the fouling dogs haven't been wormed, the biggest worry is toxocariasis
0:06:29 > 0:06:33where parasites from a dog's mess are ingested by humans.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36The eggs hatch and attack our organs.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41It can actually cause blindness and around 12 children a year are affected in the UK.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45- 'Ey up, Derek, are you all right? - Aye, not so bad, mate.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49- We weren't sure if we were going to this park or Baxter Park.- This one.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54Excellent. Rob's cavalry has arrived and wait till you hear this.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57There's a lot more dog muck around the play equipment.
0:06:57 > 0:07:03Dog's muck around a kids' playground? As well as disgusting, it's downright dangerous!
0:07:03 > 0:07:09We've got a children's play area here which has also, every now and again, got dog muck on it.
0:07:09 > 0:07:16It's disgraceful because this is the sort of area that people can't use or children won't want to use it,
0:07:16 > 0:07:22so it becomes very difficult for people to use it as a recreational area which it was built for
0:07:22 > 0:07:25when people leave dog mess all across it.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28We've cleaned it up and it's back to how it should be.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37It makes me feel sick. They shouldn't let dogs do it in the first place.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40They should clean their own mess up.
0:07:40 > 0:07:46It's part of the job. You do get used to it after a while, but it is really annoying and very costly.
0:07:46 > 0:07:52These lads could be... Instead of having to do this on a regular basis through irresponsible dog owners,
0:07:52 > 0:07:56they should be off in other areas, tidying other areas up.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Two bags full. Two of them, nearly full.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Last time I did it.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06- Of all sorts. - A lot of it were runny.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- More than runny.- Yeah.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19- Thanks very much for that, fellas. I appreciate that.- We'll get off then. There you are, Derek.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- Cheers, boys.- There we go.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29The vast majority of people in this area are good people
0:08:29 > 0:08:33who want to see this area used for its purpose, which is recreation.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37They don't want to see dog muck all over the place.
0:08:37 > 0:08:44They don't want to stand in it and it's up to us to ensure that people can use this as a recreation area.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47That's why we brought the lads down here today to remove it.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52It's also about educating people in the area about what is right and wrong.
0:08:52 > 0:08:58We're back on puppy patrol later when we'll meet Doncaster's best behaved dog owner.
0:08:58 > 0:09:04I would clean up after my dog. And there are plenty bins now out there that you can use.
0:09:04 > 0:09:10If everybody did it, the parks would be kept cleaner and tidier for everybody to use.
0:09:14 > 0:09:20Down an old, crooked lane in the heart of the Black Country, there was an old, crooked house...
0:09:21 > 0:09:24..with a very crooked problem.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- You feel drunk before you walk in the door.- I'm not surprised.
0:09:27 > 0:09:33It wasn't the slant in the floor that was causing Wayne Penn, the landlord of the pub, a headache.
0:09:33 > 0:09:39- You're in the hands of these selfish people.- That sort of thing is disgusting, quite frankly.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45Wayne took over the pub three years ago and he thought, "What better place to pull the perfect pint -
0:09:45 > 0:09:50"an unusual, historic pub in a beautiful, idyllic spot!"
0:09:50 > 0:09:53I'm quite proud to be the landlord of The Crooked House,
0:09:53 > 0:09:59a pub that's been here for 200, 300 years, a lovely, unique building in the middle of lovely countryside,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03serving travellers and guests from around the country and the world.
0:10:03 > 0:10:09But the travellers from around the world started to notice a problem on the way to enjoy a pint.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The lane was littered with rubbish.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20David Patterson from South Staffordshire Council takes up the story.
0:10:20 > 0:10:26In 2009, we started receiving quite a few complaints about fly-tipping along Coppice Mill Lane.
0:10:26 > 0:10:33As you see here, a large amount of domestic and commercial waste has just been dumped along the road.
0:10:33 > 0:10:39Because it's a remote lane, people were driving up here, throwing their waste down and driving off,
0:10:39 > 0:10:45which was having a really bad impact both on the environment and the business of the pub.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48The country lane was being turned into the local dump.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53It's enough to put you off your pint and the rubbish meant punters were staying away.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58We've been coming to The Crooked House for about nigh-on 50 years
0:10:58 > 0:11:04and then to see all the rubbish and washing machines and chemicals and things dumped,
0:11:04 > 0:11:09- it's just heart-breaking for us, isn't it?- Mm-hm. - We met here, didn't we?- Yes.
0:11:09 > 0:11:16Ah, how sweet! Yet some filthy, rotten fly-tippers were ruining their romantic rendezvous.
0:11:16 > 0:11:22Within just six months, four huge loads of waste had been dumped on the lane.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28Some days, there'd be piles that would fill probably all of that area right back up to the fence,
0:11:28 > 0:11:34probably about four feet high, including household waste, DIY rubble.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38And as we get guests coming in from all over the world,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42the first thing they get to see is a huge amount of fly-tipping.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47It wasn't just an eyesore for tourists. The mountains of rubbish meant getting to work
0:11:47 > 0:11:50was turning into an obstacle course of junk for Wayne.
0:11:50 > 0:11:56You'd come to the point where it was a dread to come down the lane and see what was going to be facing us,
0:11:56 > 0:12:02to the point where I've come down the lane on one occasion and not been able to physically get down the lane.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08Unbelievable! The fly-tippers had dumped so much rubbish that it even caused a local stream to flood.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Wayne was working all hours to try and keep his business going,
0:12:12 > 0:12:17but thanks to selfish fly-tippers, he couldn't even open up.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21It's just gut-wrenching sometimes to think you work all day every day,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26then on a Sunday where it's almost your bread and butter, you are closed,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30losing thousands of pounds that still needs to be paid out.
0:12:30 > 0:12:37The lane was totally blocked. The pub had to close its crooked door and the clear-up began.
0:12:37 > 0:12:43It took two days to clear and filled four truckloads. The £4,000 tab was picked up by the taxpayer.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46It wasn't just the public that felt it in the pocket.
0:12:46 > 0:12:52It's not just the expense of what we've lost. On a Sunday, there's the expense of what you've already got.
0:12:52 > 0:13:00You've started cooking stuff, you've bought all your produce. You've got to tell customers you'll not be open.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02And it's all out of your hands.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05It is gut-wrenching at times, it's disappointing
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and it's demoralising.
0:13:08 > 0:13:15Wayne couldn't go on like this. His business faced disaster, but he was not about to call time on his pub,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17so he called his local MP instead.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21We got in touch with the council and we all met here at The Crooked House
0:13:21 > 0:13:28to discuss what we would do to stop these issues, to try and catch the people responsible for this.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33And this was the turning point. Wayne and the council hatched a plan.
0:13:33 > 0:13:39They got permission to plant secret cameras on the lane to try and catch the criminals in the act.
0:13:39 > 0:13:45In situations where we're doing a covert camera, we need special permission. It's only for a month.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48It lasted for a month and we got no hits from the camera.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54Gutted! Their hopes were dashed. The fly-tippers stayed away and the sting looked like it had failed.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58But the countryside crack squad weren't giving up that easily.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02The council got an extension for another month. Game back on!
0:14:05 > 0:14:08So you caught someone. Right, Wayne?
0:14:08 > 0:14:12- It went on for about three or four weeks with nothing at all.- Oh!
0:14:12 > 0:14:17The officers went down to check the camera, change the battery and get ready to remove the camera.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Game over then.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23But hold your horses! What have we here?
0:14:23 > 0:14:29- Bingo! Gotcha!- To the council's amazement, they had bagged an Oscar-winning piece of film.
0:14:29 > 0:14:36Lo and behold, we get the result of Mr Price dropping his waste into the undergrowth,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38which is great.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42As you'll see in a moment, he's up to no good because he stops,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44sees a car going by, waits...
0:14:45 > 0:14:51..and hitches up his trousers because they're falling down, then gets back into the van.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56As you'll see, he's throwing a large amount of waste into the undergrowth here.
0:14:56 > 0:15:02When we interviewed him later, he said he was just placing it on the side. That's not true.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07He was throwing it into the undergrowth, hoping someone else would clear it up.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09It wasn't on his patch. He didn't care.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14It's remarkable, the amount of stuff coming out. His van looks like the Tardis!
0:15:14 > 0:15:17You're right. It is a bit of a Tardis.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Is he still going?
0:15:22 > 0:15:24He'll pull a Dalek out in a minute!
0:15:25 > 0:15:31But however much he's got in there, one thing's clear. The camera was catching it all.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36No amount of time travel is going to save you from the law now, mate.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40The council had got their man and they hauled him in for questioning.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45At the interview under caution, he initially played dumb with us
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and tried to pull the wool over our eyes
0:15:48 > 0:15:52by saying that he was only putting it on the side.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57If that's putting it on the side, I'm a Dutchman because he's just thrown it.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59He said he would collect it later.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Collect it later? Pull the other one!
0:16:02 > 0:16:07After we showed him the film, he accepted that he had put the waste down there.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13That's what's known as a fair cop, mate, and as for Wayne, it's what's known as drinks all round.
0:16:13 > 0:16:19After years of cleaning up the mess and seeing lots of amounts of fly-tipping,
0:16:19 > 0:16:24it was a bit of a relief and a bit of a weight lifted off our shoulders
0:16:24 > 0:16:29when South Staffordshire Council phoned us up to say the cameras had actually worked.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33They had caught an individual and were going to prosecute.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38It was quite heart-warming to find that someone was going to get caught for it
0:16:38 > 0:16:42and face up to the consequences of what they had actually done.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Fred Price was ordered to serve 250 hours' community service,
0:16:46 > 0:16:53pay costs of £539 and given a four-month suspended prison sentence for one count of fly-tipping.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01The message I want to give out to people like Mr Price is, "A", we will come after you,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05"B", when we catch you, you will get badly fined, so watch out.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09In all honesty, he got what was coming to him.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Today, the crooked lane has a gate to try and deter fly-tippers
0:17:12 > 0:17:18and the word's out that the crooked lane crack squad will be after you if you try anything,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21even if you have got a Tardis.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30From crooked houses to crooked plumbing, causing a filthy, rotten problem.
0:17:30 > 0:17:36This is the edge of Epping Forest, a beautiful green space where London stretches into Essex.
0:17:36 > 0:17:43Much of the water in these streams will have come from the roof gutters of houses and street drains nearby
0:17:43 > 0:17:48through channels like these. It looks like fresh water that's safe for animals and wildlife.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52But Thames Water has discovered that some fresh water streams
0:17:52 > 0:17:56have been dangerously polluted and here's a scary thought.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02It could be a householder like you who's the pesky polluter,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04even though you're unaware of it.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09What's more, polluters are liable for prosecution and ignorance is no defence,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12so listen up very carefully to this man.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17Chris Carthy from Thames Water is on a mission to get the Great British public to understand
0:18:17 > 0:18:21that there's not one, but two sewer systems.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26For our sewer networks, we've got a separate foul and surface water sewer system.
0:18:26 > 0:18:32The surface water sewer system should just be taking run-off from the roads and also from the roofs.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36The water runs into streams and rivers
0:18:36 > 0:18:40while the foul water sewer system carries waste from toilets and sinks
0:18:40 > 0:18:45into sewage plants for treatment and never should the two meet or mix,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48but sadly, that's not the case
0:18:48 > 0:18:53because some plumbers don't seem to know their soil stacks from their downpipes.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Look at this - toilet and bathroom basin plumbed into the rainwater downpipe.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03Unbelievable, I know, but that's the root of this dangerous problem.
0:19:03 > 0:19:09Unfortunately, across London we've got a real issue of misconnections of domestic appliances.
0:19:09 > 0:19:15Kitchen sinks, washing machines, dishwashers are fairly often plumbed into the surface water drain,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19hence these pollution issues which we see in the river as well.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22And it's a massive problem.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27Around 2% of properties in the Thames Water area have the wrong plumbing connections
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and that figure is repeated across the UK.
0:19:30 > 0:19:37Misconnections like these result in the equivalent of 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools of foul water
0:19:37 > 0:19:42ending up in rivers and streams across the country every single day.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Eugh! It makes you feel quite queasy, doesn't it?
0:19:49 > 0:19:55That's why Thames Water needs specialist contractors like Andy Huntley and Anthony Ridge
0:19:55 > 0:19:59who steel themselves to sniff out the festering, foul mix-up.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03The process is pretty low-tech.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08A screen cage - this small roll of what looks like wire fencing
0:20:08 > 0:20:13is used to collect evidence of contamination in the surface water sewer pipes.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18We insert this into the sewer and it catches anything that goes through there
0:20:18 > 0:20:23and the fungus grows on the bottom, so we can tell how much is in there.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29This screen cage was put in three days ago, so it's ready for Andy and Anthony to assess.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35- There's a bit of pollution on there. - It looks mainly like leaf breakdown. It's very light.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It's a bit white in there and it smells a bit funky.
0:20:38 > 0:20:44So there is evidence of a bad connection here and the really clever thing about this process
0:20:44 > 0:20:49is the guys can pinpoint with amazing precision where the foul water is coming from.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51If it's you, they'll find you.
0:20:51 > 0:20:57We cage the surface water system at strategic points to narrow it down to individual roads,
0:20:57 > 0:21:04then we do property surveys to try and understand which properties are contributing to the problem.
0:21:04 > 0:21:11It's a lot of work we're doing with specialist pollution-tracing contractors to find these issues.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Andy and Anthony update Chris on what they've found
0:21:14 > 0:21:19and crucially, how many houses they think have got problems.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Yeah, you can see, here's the outfall here.
0:21:24 > 0:21:30And we've put our screen cages in at various places. You can see that this section's clean.
0:21:30 > 0:21:36It's looking OK. And these areas we've marked with the pink are showing where the pollution is.
0:21:36 > 0:21:42So have we surveyed the properties on this section that the cage found was polluted as well?
0:21:42 > 0:21:48Yeah, we've already started surveying there and found three misconnections so far.
0:21:48 > 0:21:54So they're being dealt with now and will be taken off and then it should look a lot cleaner.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58- We'll gradually work our way through the others.- That sounds good.
0:21:58 > 0:22:05For Andy, it's a passion project. He's had plenty of experience of disgusting misconnected toilets
0:22:05 > 0:22:11where the foul water flowed into streams. It's not just fungus and scum that you can see.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Sometimes we even come down to the outfall and it's really polluted.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19You might find toilet waste and toilet paper
0:22:19 > 0:22:26and that's due to the occasional builder plumbing in a toilet downstairs in the wrong sewer system
0:22:26 > 0:22:33and that ends up in the water course. If it's close to where it discharges, it can make it terrible.
0:22:33 > 0:22:40So you can understand why finding the household pumping it out is pretty important work.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Andy's come to one property where he thinks there could be a problem.
0:22:44 > 0:22:50'We're here because I put a screen cage at the bottom of the road and found toilet waste in there.'
0:22:50 > 0:22:55It was a process of elimination. We did each house individually until we found it.
0:22:56 > 0:23:02Then it's time for the science bit. Well, it looks more like magic.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06That red powder makes the water go green, but it does the trick.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14I've put some green dye into the toilet, then flushed it.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19Now it's going into the sewer system and we should see it in the road.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25If it turns up in the foul water system, this property will be fine.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31If it turns up in the surface water system, we have a cross connection and it's in the local water course.
0:23:31 > 0:23:39Amazing detective work. Who knew there were people out there even investigating this kind of thing?
0:23:39 > 0:23:45Next, Andy's got to follow the green dye to find out whether the plumber made the right connections
0:23:45 > 0:23:50so the foul water ends up in a treatment plant, not the stream.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55And now all will be revealed. Have we got misconnected pipes?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Go that way.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- Let's see.- Green dye.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05So this is a misconnected drain. The toilet's misconnected.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09We'll talk to the person that owns the property
0:24:09 > 0:24:12to get the rectification done.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16We'll check it afterwards that it's not in the surface water system.
0:24:18 > 0:24:25Another offending household down means the guys are getting closer to a total clean up of local streams.
0:24:25 > 0:24:31They've made great progress in cleaning up these outfalls and streams at Epping Forest.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34They used to be badly polluted,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41but, as you can see, the guys' diligent work is paying off.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48And there's another way to tackle the problem at source -
0:24:48 > 0:24:51avoid using the wrong kind of plumber.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56To stop toilet waste and dishwasher waste getting into rivers
0:24:56 > 0:25:03people should talk to their contractor and make sure they know the different sewer systems.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08A good contractor should know and be able to tell the difference and plumb it correctly.
0:25:08 > 0:25:16In other words, steer clear of cowboy plumbers and do your bit to keep our streams fresh and clear.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21Hear that, dog owners? Fresh and clear. That's what we want.
0:25:21 > 0:25:29Back now with enforcement wardens Rob and Elaine inspecting the parks of Doncaster on their poo patrol.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33It's a nasty job, but someone's got to do it.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35What sort of time are they coming?
0:25:35 > 0:25:41The team have an ingenious way to reward good citizens for cleaning up their dog do.
0:25:41 > 0:25:47Anyone they see who has done the right thing gets their name put in a monthly prize draw.
0:25:47 > 0:25:53The scheme that we've set up encourages people to clear up after their dogs
0:25:53 > 0:25:59and it's not just fining people all the time. If there's an incentive for them to do it
0:25:59 > 0:26:06and get a free hamper of food, then it's a nice way of saying thank you to the people who do do it.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12Those people who we spoke to today will be put into a draw at the end of the month
0:26:12 > 0:26:16and whoever wins wins some dog food, a hamper,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20some toys and a big thank you from everybody.
0:26:22 > 0:26:28Now dogs might like fetching sticks, but people seem to prefer a carrot to a stick,
0:26:28 > 0:26:35so surely if more dog owners find out about the rewards, they'll start to pick up the poo.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40We were miles away and saw this lady's dog poo. We've run up to her
0:26:40 > 0:26:46and she's actually picked up, so we're planning to take her details and thank her
0:26:46 > 0:26:50and put her in t'draw. Simple as that. Rob's getting the details.
0:26:54 > 0:27:01They just approached us to say thank you for picking up the dirt, which anybody should do really.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06Children play on here and it's obviously bad for them
0:27:06 > 0:27:11to be walking in dog dirt. And they use it as a sports ground as well.
0:27:11 > 0:27:17So we're just grateful that we can walk the dogs here and it's just a small thing
0:27:17 > 0:27:21to clear up the mess. People should be aware of
0:27:21 > 0:27:26what they do with their dogs when they're out and about.
0:27:26 > 0:27:34Well, a happy customer there and Elaine and Rob seem to be getting their dog mess message across.
0:27:34 > 0:27:41We've come across three people who we have put into the draw for our Responsible Dog Owners scheme.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46Our presence seems to be working. It's a lot cleaner than it used to be, so we'll be back next week
0:27:46 > 0:27:49to see if we can carry on with it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:56Excellent news, Elaine. Now you've really found your footing, but be careful where you...tread.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00As you can see, I've just trod in some dog muck.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05It's not this lady's. This is what we're trying to stop.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Disgraceful. Absolutely disgraceful.
0:28:11 > 0:28:19With a cleaned up shoe, Elaine and Rob set off to present this month's winner with their reward.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Mrs McMahon? It's Robert from Doncaster Council.
0:28:27 > 0:28:34- We're here because you're the winner of our Responsible Dog Owner competition this month.- Lovely.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35Good girl.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38What do you say?
0:28:38 > 0:28:43I don't like it when I go walking. It's not very nice.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47That's why I always clean up after my dog.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Respect for other people using the park.
0:28:50 > 0:28:57You can see when your dog is fouling. They just seem to turn a blind eye and just walk away.
0:28:57 > 0:29:04There's plenty of bins out there that you can use. There's a couple in the park that you can use.
0:29:04 > 0:29:09If everybody did it, the parks would be kept cleaner and tidier for everybody.
0:29:09 > 0:29:14Well done, guys. It's a happy ending for this canine caper
0:29:14 > 0:29:19and the dog walkers of Doncaster can all tread a little less carefully tonight.
0:29:26 > 0:29:33South Yorkshire Police Air Support Unit's high-octane work sees them tracking criminals
0:29:33 > 0:29:37across Rotherham, Barnsley, Sheffield and Doncaster.
0:29:37 > 0:29:43They make the most of every second of flying time, even on their way back from jobs.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45The main job is police work,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49but when we've concluded all that,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53we try to help the council as well, so if they have fly tipping hotspots
0:29:53 > 0:30:00and we're flying over that location on the way back from a task, we'll try to patrol the sites
0:30:00 > 0:30:04and if anybody is fly tipping, we'll film them and gain evidence.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Their secret weapon is the state of the art camera on the helicopter.
0:30:08 > 0:30:14As we can see, it spins 360 degrees so it will move all the way around.
0:30:14 > 0:30:20It's got three lenses fitted to it, it's got a daylight camera and a low-light camera
0:30:20 > 0:30:25and a thermal imaging camera, which gives us the ability to see in the dark,
0:30:25 > 0:30:31But its killer feature is its long range. Anyone up to no good can be completely oblivious
0:30:31 > 0:30:38that they're being caught in the act. And that's exactly what the Air Support Unit did
0:30:38 > 0:30:42on their return from a busy day's aerial policing over Doncaster.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46We'd initially deployed to go to a stolen vehicle.
0:30:46 > 0:30:52It was a stolen Land Rover. They'd done the search for the vehicle and on the way back they decided
0:30:52 > 0:30:56to fly back over a fly tipping hotspot.
0:30:56 > 0:31:02Just as they got over the site, they saw what looked to be a flat-bed Transit vehicle
0:31:02 > 0:31:08and there was somebody in the back unloading garden rubbish, tarpaulins.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Once the helicopter crew spotted something afoot,
0:31:11 > 0:31:16they flew away to a distance of two miles to film the action unnoticed.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20What the camera saw was green waste from a landscaping company's van
0:31:20 > 0:31:25being unloaded in wheelbarrow loads onto an already huge fly tip.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29They even stopped for a cup of tea and a biscuit. It was gold,
0:31:29 > 0:31:34and these filthy rotten scoundrels had no idea they'd been framed.
0:31:34 > 0:31:40They stood off, used the camera, the observer in the front filmed everything that he could see.
0:31:40 > 0:31:47They then came back, copied all the evidence onto DVD and contacted the council, who took it further.
0:31:47 > 0:31:54Mark Benton, Environmental Investigator at Doncaster Council, gratefully received the footage.
0:31:54 > 0:32:00I was contacted by a police officer from the S4 unit and they said they'd got some footage.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03We don't get footage like this very often,
0:32:03 > 0:32:07so it's absolutely great to get image quality like this
0:32:07 > 0:32:14where you can clearly see sign written vehicles, you can see the registration and the people.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19Even though it was filmed from a distance, it was crystal clear.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25What you've got is a young lad here and he's unloading polythene
0:32:25 > 0:32:30and green waste out of a flat-back Transit van into a wheelbarrow.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35He's using a fork to actually put all the waste in
0:32:35 > 0:32:40and you can see the extent of the fly tipping around this area.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Would you believe it?
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Instead of doing the right thing and going to an official waste site,
0:32:47 > 0:32:53this pair of rascals have got wind of an existing fly tip and are merrily making it even bigger.
0:32:53 > 0:32:59Apart from being an eyesore, this sort of fly tip is a dangerous hazard.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01As you can see,
0:33:01 > 0:33:07this is all combustible material. It wouldn't take nothing at all to set all this on fire
0:33:07 > 0:33:13and either put people's life in danger or cause a significant impact on the local residents
0:33:13 > 0:33:18from the smoke. This person - it seems to be a businessman -
0:33:18 > 0:33:24what he's actually doing is getting people to pay him the correct price for the job,
0:33:24 > 0:33:30and instead of legitimately getting rid of his waste, he's fly tipping it
0:33:30 > 0:33:33and keeping the money in his own back pocket.
0:33:33 > 0:33:39And the council have to pay out twice - one for the investigation costs for this fly tipping
0:33:39 > 0:33:44and, two, as it's council land, we'll have to remove the waste,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47which will cost thousands.
0:33:47 > 0:33:54But the good news is, using this top-notch footage, Mark had all the evidence he needed to investigate.
0:33:54 > 0:34:00Working in partnership with DVLA, I was able to get the name and address of the registered keeper.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05I invited him in to see me and we did a taped interview,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08under caution, like the police do.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12And it was quite interesting.
0:34:12 > 0:34:20Mark knew he had a strong case, but the van owner was completely in the dark about the evidence he had.
0:34:21 > 0:34:26The chap that I interviewed said that he'd been on holiday,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29he'd left the keys in the vehicle.
0:34:29 > 0:34:35He didn't really know who'd had access to it. It could have been anybody that had used the vehicle
0:34:35 > 0:34:43if it had been seen fly tipping. And he said loads of people borrow his vehicle,
0:34:43 > 0:34:48but business had been very slack so he'd not moved any waste recently.
0:34:48 > 0:34:54Is he a generous guy who wanted anyone without a van to have the use of his?
0:34:54 > 0:35:01Or is he being a bit economical with the truth? Mark let him dig a big hole, then pressed "Play".
0:35:01 > 0:35:07What I thought would be best to do was for him to view the footage and then ask for his comments.
0:35:07 > 0:35:13Er, and it was quite clearly the same person that I was speaking to.
0:35:13 > 0:35:20He just laid back in his chair and he says, "Well, you've got me bang to rights. What can I say?"
0:35:20 > 0:35:27Well, how about "sorry" for a start for trying to blag your way out of this dirty, rotten crime?
0:35:27 > 0:35:33Doncaster Council solicitors took the accused to court where he pleaded guilty to fly tipping.
0:35:33 > 0:35:40Unfortunately, he only got fined £150 for the fly tipping and the other waste offences.
0:35:40 > 0:35:47And the court decided to give the Council £100 as a contribution
0:35:47 > 0:35:53towards the costs of not only investigating, but for removing the waste.
0:35:53 > 0:36:00In some ways it's quite disappointing. However, he did plead guilty to the offence
0:36:00 > 0:36:06and he did say he was of limited means, to be fair. And it was the first time he'd done it.
0:36:06 > 0:36:13At the end of the day, this is a really persuasive argument for how two different teams
0:36:13 > 0:36:17can really help fight for a rubbish-free Britain.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21There's no way the Council could afford a helicopter to watch this.
0:36:21 > 0:36:26And I think it sends a very clear message to fly tippers
0:36:26 > 0:36:30that people are interested in keeping Doncaster looking nice
0:36:30 > 0:36:35and the people who spoil it will be brought to justice.
0:36:40 > 0:36:46A bird's eye view of foul behaviour from street level now. Meet John McSwan.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50John's an Enforcement Manager at Brent Council. He makes sure
0:36:50 > 0:36:55businesses stick to the rules of rubbish and keep our streets tidy.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Unfortunately, we have businesses
0:36:57 > 0:37:02that will take any means of steps, any range of steps,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06to avoid incurring costs for waste disposal.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10The only way they get rid of waste is by illegal means.
0:37:10 > 0:37:17John's had a little problem with a chicken shop in Kilburn that keeps laying some very rotten eggs.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21The first instance took place on 7th October.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24This was about 12.30am.
0:37:24 > 0:37:31A member of staff emerged. He's dressed in a typical Chicken Express outfit, red top, red hat.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33And throws the bags on the street.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37He then returned to the shop.
0:37:37 > 0:37:44The brazen cheek of it! Strutting up, preening his feathers and leaving a nasty surprise.
0:37:44 > 0:37:50All businesses have to dispose of their waste correctly. Dumping it on the street is not clever,
0:37:50 > 0:37:55nor correct. Tell them how it should be done, John.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Go into a contract with a licensed waste carrier
0:37:59 > 0:38:02who will collect their waste and dispose of it.
0:38:02 > 0:38:07Right. Option one - pay someone to take it away for you.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11Alternatively, they can take it to a licensed civic amenities site
0:38:11 > 0:38:16where they declare it as business waste, pay for its disposal
0:38:16 > 0:38:20and get what they call a Waste Transfer Note as a receipt.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24And option two - take it to the dump yourself. Simple.
0:38:24 > 0:38:30If you don't dispose of your waste correctly, you'll ruffle John's feathers. But not just his.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35They seem to think it's their right and the Council will clear it.
0:38:35 > 0:38:41Well, I don't like it. We came up the road here and it was pretty gross.
0:38:41 > 0:38:47Restaurants that don't dispose of waste properly need to be fined heavily.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51And fined heavily is just what can happen.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56They can be fined up to a maximum of £50,000 or six months in prison.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00At the Crown Court, if they go there and they're found guilty,
0:39:00 > 0:39:06there's unlimited fines and they can get up to five years in prison.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10So that sort of indicates the seriousness of the offence.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15Back at the chicken shop, that message just wasn't getting through.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20Dumping their rubbish on the street wasn't a one-off. Night after night they'd lay another little egg.
0:39:20 > 0:39:26It may seem like no big deal, but for local residents it's a major problem.
0:39:26 > 0:39:34To just dispose of raw meat or leftovers from their restaurants or whatever is unacceptable.
0:39:34 > 0:39:39It causes all manner of vermin. There's the smell of it.
0:39:39 > 0:39:45On a hot day like this, can you imagine? It's absolutely unacceptable.
0:39:47 > 0:39:55By now the chicken shop had caused a stink. They'd laid a dozen rotten eggs without a care in the world.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00It was time for John McSwan to swoop. Get it? McSwan...swan. Swoop?
0:40:00 > 0:40:08During the course of the investigation, we identified the owner as Mr Liaqat Ali.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13He was shown the CCTV recordings as part of the interview process.
0:40:13 > 0:40:19He fully admitted it was his premises, it was his staff that were dumping on a regular basis.
0:40:19 > 0:40:26And he gave an explanation on the basis that he thought he had some arrangement for disposal in place.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28That wasn't the case at all.
0:40:28 > 0:40:35We traced no evidence to suggest this gentleman ever had an effective system to manage his waste.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40The big bird at the chicken shop got a right roasting from the Council.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44He accepted responsibility and ended up in court.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47He pleaded guilty to all 12 offences
0:40:47 > 0:40:54and he was fined, ordered to pay compensation and costs to a total of £4,800.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59Job done, right? Wrong. The fine was just chickenfeed to Mr Ali.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04The first series of offences were referred to our legal team for prosecution,
0:41:04 > 0:41:10but while that was being implemented, remarkably and unbelievably, we picked up on Mr Ali
0:41:10 > 0:41:15and his staff actually committing a further series of offences.
0:41:15 > 0:41:22Unbelievable. By now the staff at the chicken shop had laid a dirty dozen and they didn't stop.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27It looks like they didn't give a stuffing what the council or community thought.
0:41:27 > 0:41:33When it comes to restaurants disposing their stuff the wrong way, that's unacceptable.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38I have seen it and it's a nuisance. And distasteful.
0:41:38 > 0:41:43He should be heavily fined so that he does toe the line
0:41:43 > 0:41:47and accepts his responsibility as a trader in the neighbourhood.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51It was time to give the owner another grilling.
0:41:51 > 0:41:58Mr Ali was taken to court again. He squawked a guilty plea a second time and was given another fine.
0:41:58 > 0:42:05He appeared in court again on 26th July and pleaded guilty to the second series of offences.
0:42:05 > 0:42:11And he was fined and ordered to pay costs totalling £2,600.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15In total, Mr Ali for those two series of offences
0:42:15 > 0:42:20has been fined and paid costs in excess of £7,500.
0:42:20 > 0:42:26Now they say that chickens are dumb birds. The ones at Chicken Express in Kilburn certainly are.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31Mr Ali ended up paying out a total of £7,500,
0:42:31 > 0:42:36but it didn't have to be as hard as laying a golden egg. John?
0:42:36 > 0:42:41In reality, if he had taken the advice of the Council
0:42:41 > 0:42:48and acted on the information we'd given him, he could easily have had a contract in place
0:42:48 > 0:42:52that would have cost in the region of £500 a year.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56I guess that leaves Mr Ali with egg on his face.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02This mucky mess clutters our streets and wrecks our countryside,
0:43:02 > 0:43:08but our environment enforcers are working day and night to make Britain cleaner.
0:43:08 > 0:43:14Join us next time when we'll be chasing down more filthy, rotten scoundrels.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk