0:00:02 > 0:00:07Every day a never-ending war is being waged to clean up Britain.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12People often chuck something down. It doesn't matter where they are. They just do it.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16The punishment should be very strong fines.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21From the tons of cigarette butts, dogs' mess and household rubbish
0:00:21 > 0:00:23to tyres and builders' waste...
0:00:23 > 0:00:28It's costing the council thousands of pounds to clear this up.
0:00:28 > 0:00:35If I can pick this stuff up and it's making the area a lot better to drive or walk round,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38then I should take pride in that.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43We're on the front line of the clear up and the fightback.
0:00:43 > 0:00:50With the dedicated teams tracking down the rogues and putting the Great back into Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54..if you fail to mention something which you rely on in court.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00On today's programme, scandalous fly tipping on a disused railway line.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05We've got used nappies, drink cans, plastic bottles...
0:01:05 > 0:01:10- And something much more threatening. - It's a 9mm handgun.
0:01:10 > 0:01:17And you've been framed - how one man thought he could make himself invisible to outwit the cameras.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22A car pulled in, deposited a number of bags and boxes.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25It took as long as it did for me to say it!
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Welcome to the dirty world of Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51This is Preston, in the heart of Lancashire. Once an industrial boom town,
0:01:51 > 0:01:57reminders of its past still exist, like the disused Preston and Longridge Railway,
0:01:57 > 0:02:03built in 1836 to transport quarried stone and coal. It closed in the late 1960s
0:02:03 > 0:02:11and has since fallen into disrepair. But today there are big plans to bring it into the 21st century
0:02:11 > 0:02:18and reinvent it as a modern tram line for Preston's 132,000 residents.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23It will connect the city centre with the motorway junction at the M6.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27This brings where people work and where they live and shop together.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33But there's something festering here that could put pay to all that.
0:02:34 > 0:02:40Piles and piles of rubbish and it's scattered everywhere.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44This dumping's shocking. It's not right.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48They wouldn't like it on their doorstep. I wish they'd stop it.
0:02:48 > 0:02:55It's not like it used to be. It's got worse and worse over the years, since the trains stopped running.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57That's 10 years ago or more now.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02It's a filthy eyesore, but one man is determined to put a stop to this.
0:03:02 > 0:03:08Preston City Council's Waste Enforcement Officer, Paul Cookson.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12People who have thrown it here are lazy, idle members of the public.
0:03:12 > 0:03:18They can't be bothered to put it in the bin or take it to their local tip.
0:03:18 > 0:03:24The easiest thing is to throw it onto the railway line and hope it disappears. Sheer laziness.
0:03:26 > 0:03:32Paul's on his way to join his gang, who have pitched up at the railway tracks to clear up the mess.
0:03:32 > 0:03:39And, crucially, he'll sift through the rubbish to look for evidence about whoever might have dumped it.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44This is the third time we've carried out this type of work in four years.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48The last occasion was about six months ago
0:03:48 > 0:03:54when we recovered something like 16 tonnes of rubbish.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58The majority is coming from local householders who back onto the line.
0:03:58 > 0:04:04The people dumping their rubbish here might think they're not doing anyone any harm,
0:04:04 > 0:04:11but fly tipping has become such a problem that it's threatening Preston's tram line.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15This plan is going to bring an awful lot to Preston and the people here.
0:04:15 > 0:04:21Anything which is delaying that, which the situation with the rubbish on the track IS doing,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24is going to frustrate people, delay this plan.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29People want to get this thing moving. The quicker, the better.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34Delays to the service is one thing, but it could be worse.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39This level of rubbish has got to be stopped and dealt with,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42or the tramway might not happen.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47And guess what - it's a few bad apples spoiling everything.
0:04:47 > 0:04:53The majority of the people treat the railway line with respect.
0:04:53 > 0:04:59It's just that one or two houses are obviously in the habit of causing pollution.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07As we can see, we've got used nappies, drinks cans,
0:05:07 > 0:05:12plastic bottles, there's broken televisions,
0:05:12 > 0:05:17all sorts of children's toys. Some of the nappies have been here for a considerable period.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22They're very heavily degraded. Some are of newer origin.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Used nappies. That really takes the biscuit.
0:05:26 > 0:05:33Just imagine if the tram line does go ahead and this carries on. It doesn't bear thinking about.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38Local residents keep on throwing rubbish over the walls, dumping it.
0:05:38 > 0:05:44This is going to become an operational railway line, so it'll be dangerous for the trams.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49It could easily cause a derailment or cause injuries to passengers.
0:05:49 > 0:05:55In fact, Network Rail forks out an eye-watering £2 million a year to clear rubbish
0:05:55 > 0:05:58dumped on railway land.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02People round here would agree that there's got to be a culture change.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05They don't want to see sofas here.
0:06:05 > 0:06:11The people who live in Preston have got to respect these areas to get this investment.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15For this selfish lot, it's out of sight, out of mind.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20There's no thought for the people whose bedroom windows overlook it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25Talk about a room with a view, but that's not the worst of it
0:06:25 > 0:06:30- as local residents have found out. - I was stood at the kitchen sink
0:06:30 > 0:06:34and I saw something move on my back wall. It was this rat.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38It was enormous. I was very scared about it, so I didn't go out.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43They're horrible to look at and they're not healthy, are they?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45They come rummaging around for food.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50Where else would they go? Without that rubbish, we wouldn't see them.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Just revolting.
0:06:53 > 0:07:01And all these filthy scoundrels had to do was what these poor guys are doing - put it in a black bin bag!
0:07:01 > 0:07:07Ah, but no. That's too difficult, so instead there's this massive clear-up operation
0:07:07 > 0:07:15- which doesn't come cheap. - We're looking in the region of £7,000, maybe even up to £10,000,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19once we talk about the cost of getting rid of all this waste.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22It all comes from taxpayers' money.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27So it's you and me that end up paying for their selfish behaviour.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32And Paul's hell-bent on catching the culprits.
0:07:32 > 0:07:38These two addresses were served with warning letters telling them that inquiries were being made
0:07:38 > 0:07:43and if they were connected to the rubbish, they'd face legal action.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48One has completely ignored me, the other left an abusive message on the answer phone.
0:07:48 > 0:07:56Clearly, these people have no respect, but catching them in the act is easier said than done.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00We might stand here and say it's obvious where it's come from,
0:08:00 > 0:08:07but as an Enforcement Officer I have to prove that a resident of that house chucked the rubbish here.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12That's the big problem for us. With the littering we've got here,
0:08:12 > 0:08:20there's no firm evidence to link it to that house, so we'll rely on interviewing the residents.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26But Paul's got a bigger problem. It's not just these residents taking the right royal Michael.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31With bridges all the way along, it's become a free for all.
0:08:31 > 0:08:37As we're walking along, the first thing we can see is a double bed base.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Just further along, we've got a settee.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45It's all very close proximity to the footbridge.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51There's no other way it could have got here other than being dragged here and literally thrown over.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57Now I've seen it all. This lot could furnish a new home.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Fancy just chucking it over a bridge! Outrageous!
0:09:01 > 0:09:03It's disgusting, innit, really?
0:09:03 > 0:09:08If you've got the energy and means to take it to a railway track,
0:09:08 > 0:09:16and heave it over a wall, then why can't you take it to the tip anyway? It doesn't make sense.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Coming up: the massive clear-up takes a sinister turn.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28This is one of the most unusual pieces of "litter" we've found.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats for a special performance from Middlesbrough,
0:09:39 > 0:09:45birthplace of the one, the only, TV magician Paul Daniels, but watch out, Paul -
0:09:45 > 0:09:51there's a new master of illusion in town. A fly tipper who only shows up in the dead of night.
0:09:51 > 0:09:58And his biggest trick? Making a car full of rubbish disappear right before your eyes.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Did Middlesbrough Environmental Officers like it? Not a lot.
0:10:02 > 0:10:08We noticed that a car pulled in, deposited a number of bags and boxes and was gone.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12It literally took to do it as long as it took me to say it.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Now you see it, now you don't.
0:10:18 > 0:10:24Members of the public initially reported it. They were pulling up to use the recycling facility
0:10:24 > 0:10:29and the walkway in-between, one day it was knee-high in black bags and boxes.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38Phil and the team were shocked at the cheek of this fly-tipping magician. Something had to be done.
0:10:38 > 0:10:45We suspected for around a month that it was a business, due to the nature of the material.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Pizza waste, oil drums et cetera.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51But whoever the crafty conjuror was, he'd carefully removed any clues
0:10:51 > 0:10:55that would lead Enforcement Officers to his door.
0:10:55 > 0:11:02We couldn't find any ID. I suspect the reason we couldn't was that he knew the law.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07He was careful not to leave anything associated with his business.
0:11:07 > 0:11:13So although Phil and team were on the case, they couldn't find any clues to identify the rogue.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18Hence we had to use the thinking out of the box method with cameras.
0:11:18 > 0:11:25We had one camera put on that lamppost there. It sends live images back
0:11:25 > 0:11:29where we can recover them from a desktop computer.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35Surely the fly tipper's days were numbered. Not even Houdini could get himself out of this one.
0:11:35 > 0:11:41We noticed that a car pulled in round about 1.20 in the morning.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Turned his lights off,
0:11:47 > 0:11:52deposited a number of bags and boxes,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55lights on and gone.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01The scoundrel seemed to know exactly what he was doing.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Like a magician, he appeared to have carefully rehearsed every move.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09He knew precisely when to turn his headlights off
0:12:09 > 0:12:13and, infuriatingly, the CCTV couldn't quite get his number plate.
0:12:13 > 0:12:19Phil's team had no option but to keep running the cameras and hope he slipped up.
0:12:19 > 0:12:25So who was he? The rotten rogue actually turned up six times in a fortnight,
0:12:25 > 0:12:32pulling exactly the same stunt. Finally, on his sixth mission the camera picked up his plate.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36- Bingo!- We got a DVLA check on that registration.
0:12:36 > 0:12:43I remembered the name from 18 months previously and as soon as it was mentioned I thought, "We've spoken."
0:12:44 > 0:12:51The persistent litter bug was Imam Berati, a takeaway owner who'd been in trouble with them before.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57Once they'd tracked him down, they had to persuade him to come in for an interview.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02We showed the footage. In total, we caught him six times in two weeks.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07- And he denied it was him. - Come on! This isn't once or twice.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Caught on camera six times? Time to face the final curtain.
0:13:11 > 0:13:17We asked whose car it was. He said, "It's my car." Has anyone else driven it? "No."
0:13:17 > 0:13:23- Who's that driving? "It's not me." - Time to hold your hands up, Mr Berati.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29It's a fair cop and even you couldn't really expect to get out of this one.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33He went on to say that he was actually recycling the stuff
0:13:33 > 0:13:37and doing his bit for the community.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42You must be joking! Unless recycling has become a new Olympic sport,
0:13:42 > 0:13:49where you just hurl your rubbish in the general direction of the bin. The illusionist had lost his touch.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54There was no chance he'd magic this crime away. He was fined £200
0:13:54 > 0:14:02and asked to conjure up over £800 in costs. Safe to say he won't join the Magic Circle any time soon!
0:14:05 > 0:14:12There's nothing magical about what's going on in the country lanes around Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16The council here operates a zero tolerance policy to fly tipping,
0:14:16 > 0:14:24yet filthy louts are flouting their tough stance by sneaking their waste into isolated lanes and alleyways.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29On the trail of these dirty rats are Enforcement Officers Rob and Elaine.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34Today they're on their way to a real dumping hot spot
0:14:34 > 0:14:40and the more rubbish they find, the more determined they are to turn the tables.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46In Doncaster alone, we can actually check up to 30 hot spots per day
0:14:46 > 0:14:50and generally find up to 10 fly tips, which is quite staggering.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55We don't want to see it in our countryside. It also costs a lot to remove it.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00- They've seen it all. - We've been through asbestos...
0:15:02 > 0:15:04animals that have been killed...
0:15:06 > 0:15:11We've also been out to chemical waste, builder's waste...
0:15:13 > 0:15:18But it's plain old household rubbish which causes the biggest headache.
0:15:18 > 0:15:2364% of our fly tips are actually household waste.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28People are taking waste off... off residents
0:15:28 > 0:15:36and, generally, when they pick it up from a resident, they usually only go a mile down the road,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38dump it and drive away.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43At places like Cuckoo Lane, where Rob and Elaine are headed.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47It's a picturesque rural byway on the outskirts of Doncaster,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51but its geography makes it a magnet for dumpers.
0:15:51 > 0:15:57This lane that we're actually on has got an in-way and an out-way so what the fly tippers do
0:15:57 > 0:16:03is come on this side and get out that way, so nobody can see them fly tipping.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09It's about two mile long and there's all little coves where they can reverse back in, lift up
0:16:09 > 0:16:13and off they go. Nobody sees them enter or leave.
0:16:13 > 0:16:20One person's profit is being extracted at the expense of locals who like to walk along the lane.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22I mean, look.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27That's because people don't want to pay to put tyres in the dumps.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30It's easy to throw them down there.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- Now that's an eyesore. - Bits of carpet, old window frames,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37there's an old TV down there.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41It's... It's not necessary.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46I bet there's rats in there an' all.
0:16:46 > 0:16:52Rob and Elaine are determined to catch the real rats in this situation.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Sometimes in a trail of rubbish they can sniff out a villain.
0:16:56 > 0:17:02Today they're on the lookout for new dumps. The first tip is one they've seen before.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07That's been burned, that lot. We got evidence out of that.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11- You've already got it?- Yeah. We got evidence last week.
0:17:11 > 0:17:17It was on Rob's list to clear, but the culprits have tried to outwit the council by burning the waste.
0:17:17 > 0:17:23- But Rob is one step ahead of them. - The fly tippers don't realise we've already been to it
0:17:23 > 0:17:30and found evidence, so there is an investigation underway now with that, which is good news.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33One-nil to Rob.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39Coming up to another one here now which has been fly tipped.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44- We actually removed some of it. - Illegal tip number two.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50An abandoned soft toy, a discarded garden gnome and an empty stick of grouting.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56Who lives in a house that would dump rubbish like this? Well, Elaine's got a theory.
0:17:56 > 0:18:03Maybe this person didn't have any transport. They've paid even a next door neighbour to get rid of it,
0:18:03 > 0:18:09maybe ten quid, twenty quid. And because it then becomes trade waste, they dump it.
0:18:09 > 0:18:16Trade waste costs money to dump properly, so guess what? They haven't bothered. No clue here.
0:18:16 > 0:18:22- Just a clean-up team to order in. - Is there any chance you could come up to Cuckoo Lane
0:18:22 > 0:18:27and clear some rubbish for me? There isn't any evidence, but it needs clearing.
0:18:27 > 0:18:33- Come on. I need a favour off you. - It's frustrating, but sometimes when the chips are down...
0:18:33 > 0:18:38- Right, get me some.- ..the only solution is fish and chips.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43- Yeah, mushy peas, please.- Well, none of us can work on an empty stomach.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51They've come across a third fly tip on Cuckoo Lane
0:18:51 > 0:18:58- and this one's likely to put them off their lunch.- We've seen a bit of a fly tip down here.
0:18:58 > 0:19:04- We've got a code here.- Yeah. It's got like a DM number.
0:19:04 > 0:19:10- Lurking in the undergrowth is something far more sinister than domestic waste.- Is that asbestos?
0:19:10 > 0:19:17- That bit is, yeah. - We've just literally come another 100 yards down this lane
0:19:17 > 0:19:24and come across yet another fly tip. This is plastic. It looks like it's from some building contractor.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- It generally looks like asbestos. - It gives out toxins.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33You die of it, you get lung cancer. It's got to be cleared.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38There is no known safe level of exposure to this deadly substance.
0:19:38 > 0:19:44If fibres from broken asbestos are inhaled, they can fatally damage the lungs.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49Kids could come up here and it's giving off toxins. It needs clearing.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54It's an expensive clean up job and no lead to the culprit.
0:19:54 > 0:20:01But later in the programme, the adrenaline starts pumping as our duo find a vital clue.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Hang on. There we go. Get your bag.
0:20:10 > 0:20:16Back across the Pennines now to Preston where a disused railway track is being cleared of rubbish
0:20:16 > 0:20:23to make way for a much-needed tram line. But not everything dumped here has come from people's bins.
0:20:23 > 0:20:31This spot has become a regular drug haunt and let's just say the users haven't bothered to clean up after.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38So far today, we've found, I estimate,
0:20:38 > 0:20:4214-17 needles. And if you look down here,
0:20:42 > 0:20:47we have three that I've just found again.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52As you can see, these ones have been used and still have residue in them.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55If we don't remove them, if kids come down,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59they can be hurt coming down the bankings. That's where we find them.
0:20:59 > 0:21:05The drug addicts use places like this for taking their drugs.
0:21:05 > 0:21:11This is serious. These dirty needles need to be disposed of safely.
0:21:11 > 0:21:17Accidentally prick yourself with one and you risk contracting life-threatening diseases.
0:21:17 > 0:21:23More evidence of heroin use. What we have is used needles, replacement needles.
0:21:23 > 0:21:30Also we've got the spoon they use for heating up the heroin. It's a bit of nasty work, really.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35Nasty work indeed and hats off to these guys for getting stuck in
0:21:35 > 0:21:41and doing other people's dirty work, but Paul's had more than enough.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45The annoying part about this is that the majority of this stuff,
0:21:45 > 0:21:50when I've looked in the bags, is cans and other recyclable material,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54so whoever dumped it there had absolutely no excuse.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58They could've put this in recycling boxes or normal refuse bins.
0:21:58 > 0:22:04All they've done is put it in black bags and lobbed it over on to the railway land.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09Paul's gang is clearing half a mile of railway tracks today and it looks like everyone is at it.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13I've seen three-piece suites thrown on there,
0:22:13 > 0:22:18which you can see from my window. Other people can see it when they're driving past.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24Why they can't get the council to remove it, I don't know, but it's not very pleasant.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Mattresses, old wood.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32People that have been clearing their houses out throw things like that over.
0:22:32 > 0:22:39It beggars belief, doesn't it? Suddenly, the clear-up takes a dramatic turn.
0:22:39 > 0:22:45In the middle of all this mess, Paul has turned up something particularly nasty.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50This is one of the most unusual pieces of litter, shall I say, that we've found.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52It's a 9-millimetre hand gun.
0:22:52 > 0:22:58We're not quite sure whether it's live or it's got bullets, so we've just put it in a box to preserve it.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03We've made a call to the local police. They're on the way to pick it up now.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07They'll carry out checks regarding the legality of this weapon.
0:23:07 > 0:23:13This is outrageous. It's not unusual for kids to come down and play on this strip of land.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18Imagine if they came across this! It doesn't bear thinking about.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23While Paul waits for the police, he comes across another filthy haul.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27That household waste we saw is starting to look like small fry.
0:23:27 > 0:23:34This is industrial-scale fly-tipping that's a real, serious problem for British Rail.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39We're looking at a lot of tyres strewn all the way down the bank.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44From an examination of those, you can see that this has been going on for years.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47They're firmly embedded within the soil.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51And at the top of the pile, you can see they're quite new tyres.
0:23:51 > 0:23:57We know from doing a few local enquiries there is an MOT station on the other side of that wall.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01And we'll make contact with the owner of the business.
0:24:01 > 0:24:07We'll be serving him notice which will require him to produce quite a lot of documentation,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09especially when we're talking tyres.
0:24:09 > 0:24:15If he can't produce that documentation, he may be prosecuted for breach of duty of care.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Someone's got a lot of explaining to do and too right!
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Not only is this lot offensive, but if a vandal sets fire to it,
0:24:23 > 0:24:28it will produce toxic smoke and a fire that's notoriously hard to put out.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34Meanwhile, the police have arrived and cordoned off the area where the gun was found,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38so their officers can get to work and they've got some alarming news.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42This is a live weapon, capable of being discharged.
0:24:42 > 0:24:48They want us to preserve this scene and they'll do a full crime scene investigation of the area,
0:24:48 > 0:24:53just in case there's any evidence relating to any offences connected to the weapon.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57So that's brought the operation to an early end.
0:24:57 > 0:25:04CSI Preston! It's all got rather dramatic and Paul has collected plenty of evidence of his own.
0:25:04 > 0:25:10It's been a very successful operation. We've taken away 14 tonnes of various rubbish.
0:25:10 > 0:25:1585% of the area has been now cleared and restored to an acceptable level,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19so we can all go home now and wait for the next escapade.
0:25:20 > 0:25:27Coming up - four months on and we're back to see whether Paul's spring clean has had lasting effects.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Street after street of terraced houses with alleyways at the back
0:25:38 > 0:25:42make up the Gresham area of Middlesbrough.
0:25:42 > 0:25:49For eight years, to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, these alleys have been secured by gates.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55Residents have a key to their own alleyway and the police, fire brigade and council hold master keys
0:25:55 > 0:25:59which will open the gates to all the alleyways in the area.
0:25:59 > 0:26:05Having the gates has helped transform parts of Gresham like this alleyway.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09It's gorgeous, like a miniature Chelsea Flower Show.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13I saw the alley in a different light. My family all grew up here.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I thought we could have that back.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18What a great idea!
0:26:18 > 0:26:24About four neighbours were very interested in planting and tidying it all up.
0:26:24 > 0:26:30Over the years, it's added and added and now it's very well used and very enjoyed.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35Nice work, Mavis. So a space which once attracted rubbish and bad behaviour
0:26:35 > 0:26:37is now a beautiful oasis,
0:26:37 > 0:26:42but somehow a number of the master alley gate keys have found their way into the wrong hands.
0:26:42 > 0:26:49There's been an increase in burglaries and a problem with scroungers after scrap metal
0:26:49 > 0:26:52letting themselves into people's back yards.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Fresh from his Paul Daniels wannabe fly-tipping case is Phil Armitage.
0:26:57 > 0:27:03Today, he's part of a sting operation working with the police to catch any crooks red-handed.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11Phil will be checking that anyone stopped carrying waste is licensed to do so.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Soon he gets his first call from the police.
0:27:14 > 0:27:20Yeah, thanks, Michelle. Bye. Got one. The police are with one now, stopped.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24They've caught him there in the alley, taking the scrap metal.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29At the scene, the police explain that the scrap man is picking this stuff up for a family member,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32so hasn't illegally entered the alleyway.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Phil still has to check his licence.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40I'll just make a quick phone call.
0:27:40 > 0:27:46We've just stopped a gentleman with the police. Can you check his details on our systems?
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Operating without a waste carrier's licence incurs a £300 fine
0:27:50 > 0:27:53or prosecution if you've been fined in the past.
0:27:53 > 0:27:59Thanks very much, Anya. Goodbye. I've spoken to our solicitor at work. It's on the system.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Your licence runs out on the 20th of March,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07so apologies for stopping you, but we have to check.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12All above board, but the scrap man has given him the nod about someone who might not be.
0:28:12 > 0:28:18He did happen to mention that he knows people who have the master gate keys
0:28:18 > 0:28:21and we have now got a description of a vehicle.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26He'd heard on the street that they're swapping hands for as much as £120 a key.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30120 quid for a key to give you access to all these back alleys?
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Sounds like a lot of dough to me,
0:28:33 > 0:28:38but if I tell you that you can get up to £150 for a vanload of metal at a recycling centre,
0:28:38 > 0:28:42it's not hard to see why these keys are worth their weight in gold.
0:28:42 > 0:28:49This is the kind of thing they're doing. This TV has been left out for collection. It's just smashed open.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53On the back of there, there is about a pound in weight of copper wire.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55Take that - £3 a go.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58It depends on the price of scrap metal as well,
0:28:58 > 0:29:03so some weeks, for the general scrap like steel, it probably isn't worth doing,
0:29:03 > 0:29:08then other weeks, when the price has gone back up, everybody's at it.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13It's not long before the police are back on the phone.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19See you shortly... The police have stopped another one. They said he has a waste carrier's licence.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23They're just about to search his vehicle for an alley gate key.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26I'm from Middlesbrough Council.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Do you have your waste carrier's licence on you?
0:29:30 > 0:29:34So the guy they've stopped is licensed to transport metal,
0:29:34 > 0:29:39but how did he get into the alley in the first place?
0:29:39 > 0:29:45The police have caught these guys in the alley with the gate open and asked how they got into the alley.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Is it a master key?
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Yeah, it is. The master key. It is.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58These chancers have somehow got hold of a master key
0:29:58 > 0:30:02which should only be held by the council and the emergency services.
0:30:02 > 0:30:08They tried to hide the evidence by dropping it into a nearby bin. At least they didn't try to swallow it!
0:30:08 > 0:30:13They said they bought it for £150 from Grangetown.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16They've been invited to attend the police station.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21That's one less key in circulation and a good morning's work for Phil.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24To catch one in an alley with a key, excellent result.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Back to the country lanes of South Yorkshire now
0:30:29 > 0:30:35with council enforcement officers Rob and Elaine. They're on a daily round of fly-tipping hotspots,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38searching for clues to track down those responsible.
0:30:38 > 0:30:44It really frustrates us if we can't actually find any evidence within the waste.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47But Rob is ever the optimist.
0:30:47 > 0:30:54You know, we will scrap through it for any little bit of evidence that we can find
0:30:54 > 0:30:56to start an investigation
0:30:56 > 0:31:01and there is a real sense of achievement once we do find evidence within it.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05This has been burnt as well, hasn't it? Has it?
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Yeah.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Yeah, this wasn't here the other day.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16Fly-tip number four and again it's been torched.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19The big question is - will it reveal any leads?
0:31:22 > 0:31:28Here we've got some sort of aluminium piping...
0:31:28 > 0:31:30which has burnt out.
0:31:30 > 0:31:36The vast majority of the stuff what's been dumped here could have been recycled.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Glass bottles there.
0:31:40 > 0:31:41Cans...
0:31:41 > 0:31:43You know, there's paper.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49There's obviously chemicals within this stuff which has been burnt.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53It's left a massive scar on the landscape here, burnt the trees.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56That's going to take some time to come back now.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01Whatever wildlife was living in there has now had to move on.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05And so the hunt for the evidence begins.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Have you got anything there, Rob?
0:32:09 > 0:32:13"Spiritualists'...National Union."
0:32:16 > 0:32:19That could have come from anywhere, really.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Maybe they need to consult a psychic for clues.
0:32:23 > 0:32:29What we'll have to do now is call our fly-tipping removal team to come and get it removed.
0:32:29 > 0:32:36Unfortunately, there's not a great deal we can do unless we've got some clear evidence within it.
0:32:36 > 0:32:42That means it's looking as though it's going to be another case of taxpayers footing the bill
0:32:42 > 0:32:47for the rotten scoundrels who don't care about the mess and expense they create.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49It's very frustrating.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Hang on. There we go.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56Here we go.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58He's got something.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01- Just get your bag. - What have you got?
0:33:01 > 0:33:03We've got an address.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09We've got an address which is absolutely fantastic. There you go.
0:33:09 > 0:33:15Bingo! It seems the dumpers are even slap-dash when it comes to covering their tracks.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17This name and address could nail them.
0:33:17 > 0:33:23So even though they've burnt it, we've still managed to get some evidence out of it -
0:33:23 > 0:33:27where it's come from or potentially where it's come from.
0:33:32 > 0:33:39Just like any other major crime scene, Rob and Elaine meticulously collate the evidence available.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42I'm just going to put that into this bag as well.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44So that's that.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48Right, what I'm planning on doing now is I'll be ringing the office
0:33:48 > 0:33:53to get a council tax check for the address we've just found.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Hopefully, she still lives at that property.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00They need to establish if the address is still valid.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04'Ey up, can you do me a council tax check, please?
0:34:05 > 0:34:07That's great. Thank you.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Bye.
0:34:09 > 0:34:15The lady still lives at that address, so we're going round now to see if she's in and interview her.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Is the woman on the letterhead the fly-tipper?
0:34:19 > 0:34:24Did she pay someone else to take her rubbish away and did she have any idea where it would end up?
0:34:26 > 0:34:32So we're here now to see if we can get some sort of idea of how this has happened.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34They've arrived at the address.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38The woman is out, but they get her mobile number from the person
0:34:38 > 0:34:42who answers the back door and Elaine calls her.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47She wasn't going to come back, but when I mentioned personal details,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50she's more interested to find out what I've found.
0:34:50 > 0:34:56She's coming back in the next ten minutes, so we'll hang on and wait for her to come back.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02Rob and Elaine are determined to hold the person who made this mess to account.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08That's the lady.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15KNOCK AT DOOR
0:35:16 > 0:35:19- Come round the back.- All right.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24The woman returns home and they go inside to question her.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Her story is all too familiar.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33A really positive interview, that.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38She was absolutely shocked that this waste had been dumped.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43What she said to us is that she'd had a garage and a shed cleared.
0:35:44 > 0:35:49We know that the person who she gave the waste to, his name is John.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53Unfortunately, she has no other details other than that.
0:35:53 > 0:36:00We need to speak to her boyfriend who was there when the waste was removed. He gave the money over.
0:36:00 > 0:36:06It's just her boyfriend now that needs to cover the same story
0:36:06 > 0:36:12and it's up to us to see which one is telling the truth or telling lies.
0:36:13 > 0:36:19It's a tangled web. If they find the boyfriend and he corroborates his girlfriend's story,
0:36:19 > 0:36:25he then has to come up with enough information to lead Rob and Elaine to John the fly-tipper.
0:36:25 > 0:36:31It's actually John we want. He's the fly-tipper, the person who we want to give the fine to.
0:36:32 > 0:36:38If he hasn't got those details, then all of the problems will then land on the boyfriend.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41He'll get done for household duty of care.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45He's not taken reasonable steps to stop it from being fly-tipped.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48There's a lesson here for us all.
0:36:48 > 0:36:54The onus is on us to make sure anyone taking away our rubbish gets rid of it properly.
0:36:54 > 0:37:00I'm phoning the lady's boyfriend to see if I can make an appointment with him.
0:37:00 > 0:37:06Unfortunately, it's turned off at the moment, so I'll keep trying till the end of the shift,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10then we'll just do a door knock on Monday.
0:37:10 > 0:37:16The stupid thing is the council would have disposed of the rubbish for £5,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20a £15 saving for the lady's boyfriend.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25But the saving to the council, the taxpayer, nearby residents and the environment is priceless.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33A hop, skip and a jump from east to west and we're back at the site
0:37:33 > 0:37:36of the disused railway line in Preston.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41It's four months since Paul Cookson and his team were last here doing a mammoth spring clean,
0:37:41 > 0:37:47clearing what locals hope will be the route of a 21st century tram service.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50That was then and this is now.
0:37:54 > 0:38:00You probably remember that the entire area around these trees was...
0:38:00 > 0:38:07The tracks were just littered completely with used nappies, other bits of household waste.
0:38:07 > 0:38:14Unfortunately, we just couldn't get enough evidence to prove which houses were responsible for it,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18so we couldn't form a prosecution case against anybody,
0:38:18 > 0:38:23but we did serve warning letters on the houses saying we were monitoring the area
0:38:23 > 0:38:29and if they continued to throw rubbish on to the lines, they would be prosecuted.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34It seems to have worked because the area is quite clear of that problem we were faced with.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38It's astonishing what the threat of prosecution can achieve.
0:38:38 > 0:38:45When we were here four months ago, in the middle of the railway line, we found a clump of black bags.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48At the moment, it's looking fairly clear.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53The council came a few months ago, did a little bit and you thought, "We're getting there."
0:38:53 > 0:38:55It has been a lot, lot better.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58It used to be filthy altogether.
0:38:58 > 0:39:04So far, so good, but remember, a lot of stuff was being thrown from the bridges over the railway line
0:39:04 > 0:39:07and that hasn't changed much.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17We've got quite a big piece of carpet
0:39:17 > 0:39:22that's been thrown on to the railway here.
0:39:22 > 0:39:27Then as we go a little bit further, we've got two settees.
0:39:27 > 0:39:33And what in the world is this? It looks like a scene out of Indiana Jones!
0:39:34 > 0:39:38We've obviously had copper thieves active in the area here.
0:39:38 > 0:39:44They've been digging up the original cabling from the signalling wire
0:39:44 > 0:39:48that runs along the railway line, and using the cover of the bridge,
0:39:48 > 0:39:54they've been stripping all the wire out of the cabling. That will be turned in for scrap.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59It's an extremely lucrative business.
0:39:59 > 0:40:05The price of copper has doubled in the last year and is currently worth around £6,000 a tonne,
0:40:05 > 0:40:09so these thieves saw a golden opportunity and took it.
0:40:09 > 0:40:16They'll just turn it in for scrap and they've got a few quid and we've got the mess to clear up.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19You said it, Paul. Let's move on up the railway
0:40:19 > 0:40:22and time for some good news. Remember this?
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Well, this is now a tyre-free zone.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34We had a big deposit of tyres which were littering the embankment.
0:40:34 > 0:40:40When we carried out some enquiries with the industrial units at the top of the embankment,
0:40:40 > 0:40:47we found that it was currently being rented by one of our local recycling companies.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52He recycles tyres. He shreds them down and makes them into useful products.
0:40:52 > 0:40:58When we approached him, he was unaware that any of his tyres had fallen on to the embankment.
0:40:58 > 0:41:04What he said to us was that he makes money out of tyres. He wouldn't dump them because he was losing money.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08He acted very promptly. He sent some of his team down here.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12They recovered all of the tyres and took them back on top,
0:41:12 > 0:41:17so we didn't take any legal action against him and just let him off with a warning.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21Good on you, Paul, and it only gets better.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24I think the locals have wised up to the fact
0:41:24 > 0:41:28that the land is scheduled for a tram line to be put in place
0:41:28 > 0:41:34and hopefully, it is convincing the people that dumping waste is inappropriate.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Hear, hear! But there is a lot at stake here in Preston.
0:41:37 > 0:41:42We can only hope that the filthy rogues clean up their act,
0:41:42 > 0:41:47so the citizens of this rejuvenated town can finally get their much-needed tram line.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Finally, an update on the fly-tip in Doncaster.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00- We've got an address. - This led Rob and Elaine to the woman who the rubbish belonged to.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05We know that the person who she gave the waste to, his name is John.
0:42:05 > 0:42:12We need to speak to her boyfriend who was there when the waste was removed. He gave the money over.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15It's just a case of trying to track down her boyfriend.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Well, the good news is they did track down the boyfriend,
0:42:19 > 0:42:23but he couldn't or wouldn't give them more information about John,
0:42:23 > 0:42:28so now Rob and Elaine are taking him to court for not taking proper steps
0:42:28 > 0:42:31to ensure the waste was responsibly disposed of.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34If found guilty, he could receive a £300 fine.
0:42:37 > 0:42:42Right across Britain, our environment enforcers are working tirelessly
0:42:42 > 0:42:45to make our country a cleaner and greener place to live.
0:42:45 > 0:42:51Join us next time when we'll be chasing down more filthy, rotten scoundrels.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2011
0:43:11 > 0:43:14Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk