0:00:02 > 0:00:07Every day, a war is being waged across Britain to clean up our towns and countryside.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12I feel they're incredibly irresponsible and they don't stop to think.
0:00:12 > 0:00:17It's absolutely, totally disgraceful.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22From the tons of cigarette butts, dogs' mess and household rubbish
0:00:22 > 0:00:29- to mountains of tyres and skiploads of builders' waste.- People just don't care. They don't care at all.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33The people who have thrown it here are idle members of the public.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38We're on the front line of the clear-up and the fightback
0:00:38 > 0:00:44with the dedicated teams tracking down the rogues and putting the "great" back into Britain.
0:00:44 > 0:00:50It may harm your defence if you fail to mention something which you later rely on in court.
0:00:50 > 0:00:56On today's programme, an utterly outrageous dump of asbestos in the middle of a public playing field.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00We can follow the tyre tracks from over there.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04They come down here. We think he's just driven round in a circle.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09You can see the skid marks on the grass, then he's gone up and round.
0:01:09 > 0:01:15And tracking down the man who brought this style of decorating to the Welsh countryside.
0:01:15 > 0:01:21The waste consisted of a full household clearance really, including a bath and a toilet.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Welcome to the dirty world of Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43In a series about the constant problem of environmental crime,
0:01:43 > 0:01:50foul fly-tipping, gaudy graffiti and lousy litter, wouldn't it be great to hear of a magic solution?
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Well, your wish is my command. Ta-da!
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Pretty impressive, eh? OK, I'll admit it, it's not exactly magic,
0:02:08 > 0:02:13but all this is possible because of an inspired little program for mobile phones.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17These environment cleaners in Lewisham in South London
0:02:17 > 0:02:21aren't wasting time playing with smartphones at work.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27They're uploading a "before and after" record of the graffiti and fly-tipping they're cleaning up
0:02:27 > 0:02:31on to a specially designed phone application called Love Lewisham.
0:02:31 > 0:02:38If you come across dumped rubbish or unsightly graffiti, you just take a photo of it on your phone.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43It goes to the right people at the council and before you can say, "I'm on the phone,"
0:02:43 > 0:02:46somebody clears it all up. Amazing and simple!
0:02:46 > 0:02:50The graffiti was over on the wall of the building across the road.
0:02:50 > 0:02:57I just opened the app, then you get a camera function. I put the camera up to the window, took a picture,
0:02:57 > 0:03:02then followed the instructions on the screen and sent it off. It was that simple.
0:03:02 > 0:03:08Within an hour, I got an email confirming that they'd received it, then the next day, the job was done.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11If everyone in the borough had it and they used it,
0:03:11 > 0:03:17any graffiti that's put up around the borough can be dealt with and it would be a nicer place to live.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Isn't that fantastic?
0:03:19 > 0:03:25It's so successful that London Mayor Boris Johnson adopted it for the whole of London.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30What we're publicising is Love Clean London, a brilliant new app that Lewisham came up with.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33OK, we've got the picture.
0:03:33 > 0:03:39- The location will be visible from the app, won't it?- It captures the location.- That is brilliant.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41That is the key thing.
0:03:41 > 0:03:47Now there's not just Love Lewisham, but Love Clean Streets and Love Clean London.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50But there's a long way to go yet.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55People just dumping stuff in the road, mattresses, chairs, beds.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57People are so lazy.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01I don't like graffiti because it defaces and...
0:04:01 > 0:04:05It doesn't make the atmosphere and the environment look neat.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10It's horrible. We should be proud of the area we live in.
0:04:10 > 0:04:16And things used to be even worse before Lewisham Council introduced the phone app.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22When you hear just how incredibly well it's worked, you'll understand why the magic has spread.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Back in 2006,
0:04:24 > 0:04:29we removed 27,000 metres of graffiti in a year.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Last year, we only needed to remove 7,000 metres of graffiti,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36so that's a drop of about 73%.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42Yes, you heard it right - a whopping 73% reduction in graffiti,
0:04:42 > 0:04:47the point being that if you keep removing it, eventually, the vandals will give up,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49so it's more than just a quick fix.
0:04:49 > 0:04:56We've reduced the amount of fly-tipping by half in Lewisham in terms of the tonnages we collect.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59We think that's by getting to the problem quickly.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04So keep the place tidy and everyone starts treating the area with more respect
0:05:04 > 0:05:08and doing all that tidying up is an impressive army of 400 people,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11all responding to the mobile phone application.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15They clean the streets, collect the rubbish, look after the parks
0:05:15 > 0:05:20and they're a happy team with a genuine appetite for cleaning up their borough.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- Hello, mate. Welcome to Lewisham. - Yoo-hoo!
0:05:24 > 0:05:29We'll spend a couple of days out on the road with two of these lovely teams.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33The first, Vic Worsfold and Julie Ball, are tackling graffiti.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38They're passionate about what they do and how their work can stop the rot in the area.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43I just like to see the place nice and clean. I don't like to see this rubbish.
0:05:43 > 0:05:49If you're not going to keep it clean, who'd want to live here? Because I certainly wouldn't.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54Vic and Julie are on their way to their first job of the day.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Because the phone app uses satellite navigation, there's no need for the A to Z map.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02It's made our work like a hundred times better.
0:06:02 > 0:06:09Before, they'd give us a street and you'd be looking... You'd have to go up and down trying to find it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13On some occasions, it's not even been in that same street,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15but this is just absolutely perfect.
0:06:15 > 0:06:21And it shows what's on the wall, then we can just go there and remove it.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Finding it may have been easy, but doing the job is much trickier.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30This is a huge and hard-to-reach wall that is a favourite with the street vandals,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34but can Julie and Vic get their ladder anywhere near it?
0:06:35 > 0:06:39- Will they go through there?- No. - What about if you open them up?
0:06:39 > 0:06:43You can tell one of us has got brains, can't you?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45LAUGHTER
0:06:45 > 0:06:48This is looking like a Laurel and Hardy film.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Oh, look at that! Ain't I clever?
0:06:50 > 0:06:56OK, I withdraw my Laurel and Hardy comment. That was very professionally done.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Good job I'm here then.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Oh, lucky those railings are in the way, Vic!
0:07:01 > 0:07:06Time to get down to serious business now and they've got quite a job ahead of them.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11I'm sticking this on now, yeah?
0:07:11 > 0:07:16This is probably going to take about ten minutes to go on.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18This breaks down the spray paint.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23Well, I'm hoping it's going to, but it looks like it's actual car spray,
0:07:23 > 0:07:28so we might leave it on a little bit longer than ten minutes.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33This might seem like mindless vandalism to you and me,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37but Julie's got her own theories about why people do it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41It's like they're marking their territory where they are.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45It means something to the kids that have done it,
0:07:45 > 0:07:50but to other people, they just look at it, as I do, as just vandalism.
0:07:50 > 0:07:57As Julie's anti-graffiti gel dries, let's hit the road with another of Lewisham's crack cleaning teams.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01It's Paul Tyler and Leon Muxagata's job to hoover up after fly-tippers.
0:08:01 > 0:08:07- We've got three settees, three sofas, two mattresses...- Three sofas?- Yeah.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09TVs, bed bases,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12shopping trolleys...
0:08:12 > 0:08:15And lots of items.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18That's just the list for their first stop.
0:08:18 > 0:08:24It's a sizeable fly-tip in a back street and sadly, it's a familiar sight to the lads.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34It's quite messy, this one.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39This is what we get every day. Not as much as this, but sofas and stuff.
0:08:39 > 0:08:45This is like a whole house-worth of furnishings. Why on earth would somebody have dragged this lot here?
0:08:45 > 0:08:50But before the makeover starts, time for the "before" shot.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55He'll take a picture of that. He'll send that straight back to Love Lewisham.
0:08:55 > 0:09:01Unbelievable that someone sneaked in here to dump this load like a thief in the night!
0:09:01 > 0:09:05It's a tiny little street and there's no cameras about,
0:09:05 > 0:09:10so it's quite hidden and they've obviously just come in and tipped it off.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13That's what we get quite a lot.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17It shouldn't take us more than 20 minutes, to be honest.
0:09:17 > 0:09:2220 minutes for this lot?! That's what I call positive thinking!
0:09:22 > 0:09:29Right, Paul, I'm setting my watch and we'll be back later to see if you can beat the clock.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34Bringing fly-tippers to justice takes a massive joint effort between the public,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38police and intrepid council officers like Phil Armitage
0:09:38 > 0:09:42of the Environmental Crimes Unit in Middlesbrough.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47It's premeditated. "I'll dump this stuff here and we'll get away with it." But they slip up.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50And that's when Phil pounces.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55This northern town has a great industrial heritage,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59but now there's evidence that people aren't feeling pride for the place
0:09:59 > 0:10:05because Middlesbrough has an incredible 3,000 cases of fly-tipping a year.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11But before you start thinking it's nothing to do with you,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15remember that people like Phil aren't just after the fly-tipper.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21All of us have a duty to make sure whoever is taking our rubbish away disposes of it responsibly,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23otherwise we'll end up in the dock too.
0:10:26 > 0:10:33When a report comes in, Phil has no idea who is going to land up bearing ultimate responsibility.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I've just received a call from my supervisor
0:10:36 > 0:10:40to let me know that in the Easterside area of Middlesbrough,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43someone has driven on to a playing field
0:10:43 > 0:10:47and they've dumped a load of timber and asbestos sheeting.
0:10:47 > 0:10:53Yes, you did hear that right. Someone has dumped asbestos on a playing field.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58So, a dangerous and potentially cancer-causing material in a place
0:10:58 > 0:11:02where children play and people walk their dogs - disgraceful!
0:11:02 > 0:11:04I'm going to get some gloves for this one.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Dumping asbestos is utterly unforgivable.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14When solid sheets like these are broken up, they can release fibres that cause a killer cancer.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21Phil's colleague Mick Clugston is already at the scene of the crime
0:11:21 > 0:11:25and all the clues point to this being a classic of its kind,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29using the dumper's vehicle of choice - a flatbed truck.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35- I think it's a tipper.- A tipper truck?- He's tipped and drove away, judging by the big, long line.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39There's his tracks. I thought they were them, but these are 'em here.
0:11:39 > 0:11:45We can follow his tyre tracks from the cut over there in the corner of the field where he's got on.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49They come down here. We think he's driven round in a circle.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52You can see the skid marks here on the grass,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54then he's gone up and round again.
0:11:54 > 0:12:00They usually put the tipper up and then just drive off as it's still falling out,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03so they're as quick as possible and they're gone.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07All the residents hear is the clattering of the stuff falling off.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12By the time they've seen what's happened, they're at the other end of the field.
0:12:12 > 0:12:18It's a quick and slick operation and the rogues think they're getting away unnoticed,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21but they reckon without Phil and Mick.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26It's a dirty and dangerous job, but the guys are rooting through the rubble for clues.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30I'm not too sure, but there's tons of mail.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32No dates...
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- This is April the 11th. - April the 11th?
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- Yeah.- Here's a list of jobs to do.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42What does it say? "Dump rubbish"?!
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Nothing like a well-organised fly-tipper, eh, Phil?
0:12:45 > 0:12:50So they've found an address of where this asbestos probably came from.
0:12:50 > 0:12:56Phil and Mick know of some repeat fly-tippers who've worked that patch before. Could this be one of theirs?
0:12:56 > 0:13:00We've got a case just up the road from this address.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05That was another white van man that dumped waste in another part of Middlesbrough.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08There may be a connection. We don't know.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Armed with a big pile of paperwork linking the rubble to one address,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Phil decides the best route to the culprit will be to find the owner
0:13:18 > 0:13:22of the property this appalling pile has come from.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26We're going to go to the location where we think it may be from.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29They might still be working there.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33If not, if it looks like it's had loads of new work done to it,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36then that's an indication as well.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40If they've got a brand-new garage there and that's their old one,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44what we'll do is a council tax search on the property,
0:13:44 > 0:13:49find out who the owner is, ask them who was employed to take the waste away...
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Because this is the key to the case.
0:13:51 > 0:13:58It may well be that the home owner thought their building waste was being disposed of properly.
0:13:58 > 0:14:04It could be someone that's driven past, seen the waste and said, "I'll take that away for you."
0:14:04 > 0:14:10The owner of the property gives over the money, thinking it's going to go to the tip
0:14:10 > 0:14:13and it ends up at this tip instead of the proper tip.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16It must be someone with local knowledge.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20You wouldn't know to dump it behind the trees if you were chancing it.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25There's no time to waste to find this environmental criminal.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30Phil's on the road to check out the house and he's not a happy chappy.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I just think it's despicable what they've done there.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38They could have taken that asbestos to the tip and disposed of it for free there.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42And the rest of the stuff is just like wood and building rubble.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46That could have been bagged up. The council could have taken that.
0:14:46 > 0:14:52So I just want to do my best to try and get somebody into court for it.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56You can see how much this winds Phil up and quite right.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00It's an outrageous crime and Phil's instincts were spot-on.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04That's the house there and as you can see round the back,
0:15:04 > 0:15:10it would appear to have a double garage under construction, I would say.
0:15:10 > 0:15:16Photographing the evidence is essential because the aim is to make a watertight case.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21Right, we'll just do our council tax checks now and see what comes back on their systems
0:15:21 > 0:15:23and who owns the property.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28We'll be back with Phil and the clean-up team later.
0:15:31 > 0:15:37Back to Lewisham where the council has gone for a radical approach to solving environmental crime -
0:15:37 > 0:15:39the Love Lewisham phone app.
0:15:39 > 0:15:46I put the camera up to the window, took a picture, then sent that off. That was it. It was that simple.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51It's an inspired little gizmo that means if you see dumped rubbish or graffiti,
0:15:51 > 0:15:58you just take a photo of it on your mobile phone and the council sends out a nice person to clean it up.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03Genius! And so much easier all round than an old-fashioned phone call.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09To use the technology we've got today is a great advantage. We can take pictures instantly.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14When you get a call to report a fly-tip, you need to send someone to check the work out,
0:16:14 > 0:16:20particularly if there's been an exaggeration. You think, "We'll need five blokes to clear this."
0:16:20 > 0:16:26When you show up, it's a mattress that could have been collected by a caged vehicle. Getting a photo
0:16:26 > 0:16:32with Love Clean Streets enables us to send the right people to deal with it, so that saves us money.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36It saves money and time. Because the council had a photo of this lot,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40they knew it didn't need a five-man crew and a massive truck.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42All it needed was Paul, Leon
0:16:42 > 0:16:45and a 20-minute time limit.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Nine and a half minutes in and they're almost done.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03These guys are on fire. No wonder they get through over 40 jobs a day.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05It does wear you out.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Because you're picking up rubble and all that, you know?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22That's got to be a personal best.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Time now for the "after" shot.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26Beautiful.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I think we'll go straight to the tip with that.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Great work. See you at the next job.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Back with Vic and Julie - it's time to see if the chemical gel has dissolved the spray paint.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Vic's ready for the next line of attack.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43This is just to protect your face and eyes.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48When you're blasting, sometimes the brick can come back in your face.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51And also it makes me look prettier.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I'm just going to warm it up now.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Is it just me or does Vic remind you of someone? Rambo perhaps?
0:18:01 > 0:18:05And he's taking no prisoners.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13But even Rambo's not tough enough for some of this.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17There's a couple of bits there that don't seem to be budging.
0:18:17 > 0:18:24What I'm going to do is I'm going to re-do 'em up with the liquid and gel and then we'll spray 'em off again.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30One that got away, Vic.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34I think they may be here for some time.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Normally, if it was ordinary stuff that we take off every day,
0:18:38 > 0:18:44we probably would have done this by half an hour, 45 minutes.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Unfortunately, these type of bricks are more porous.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50This is certainly a two-man job.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52I said this is a two-man job, Vic!
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I've just had a text from one of my girlfriends.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Yeah, pull the other one, Vic!
0:19:00 > 0:19:03If we can't get this off now, today,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06what we'll do is we'll come back probably tomorrow
0:19:06 > 0:19:12and we'll just touch up the bits that are not coming off with a little bit of paint.
0:19:12 > 0:19:18Vic's managed to annihilate one stubborn section, but they're stuck on the porous wall.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23We've probably been here three, four hours, so that's a lot of time out of our day,
0:19:23 > 0:19:28being here for that amount of time, trying to get rid of this actual piece of graffiti.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33Despite the time and money it takes, Julie knows that it's worth the effort.
0:19:33 > 0:19:39It brings the whole community down because if you see stuff like this on the wall,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43people just think it's a run-down area and people don't want to come here.
0:19:43 > 0:19:50As you can see, it's not having it, so we'll probably come back tomorrow once the wall's dry
0:19:50 > 0:19:55and we'll touch up those little bits at the top.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57I am gutted about that.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02I just love Julie's passion. She cares so much about her local community.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05There's more of that Lewisham passion from Leon and Paul.
0:20:05 > 0:20:11They're now correctly dumping their first truckload of the day, all two tonnes of it.
0:20:11 > 0:20:17The thing I enjoy about the job is just getting the rubbish and the fly-tips off of the street.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22Good man! And there's no stopping these guys. They're whipping through their list.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28Here is another cast-off from someone's lounge just dumped on the grass verge.
0:20:28 > 0:20:34- That's them there, innit? - Yeah. It looks like heavy ones. - We'll be all right.
0:20:34 > 0:20:40David Bailey here gets the photo, then it's straight in the back of the lorry.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45They've got a new one or...
0:20:45 > 0:20:48That's probably why. They've got a new one.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51But yeah, it ain't too bad.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53I've seen a lot worse.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06No sooner finished and they get another job through.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10This one's from a Love Lewisham app. It came over the radio.
0:21:10 > 0:21:17We just pulled up. We're just going to do the same thing again, take the photo - before and after.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22So within hours of a fly-tip being reported, our guys are clearing it up.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27What a brilliant service! It makes such a difference to the people living here.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30I paid to get my bulk items disposed of,
0:21:30 > 0:21:35so to know that people are just fly-tipping and leaving it there is very annoying.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39They're doing a great job and... Just keep up the good work, basically!
0:21:44 > 0:21:50More from Lewisham later as our team continue their battle against the stubborn graffiti vandals.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54If we get rid of it, as soon as it appears,
0:21:54 > 0:21:58the younger kids coming up are not seeing it, so they don't do it.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04High on the rolling hills above Swansea Bay in south Wales,
0:22:04 > 0:22:10there's a patchwork of farmland fields, forest, country lanes, grazing animals and fabulous views.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13The locals adore their surroundings.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19As you can see, we live in a beautiful place.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24People think of Port Talbot, "Oh, no!", but if you come to Neath Port Talbot county as a whole,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27it's an absolutely gorgeous place.
0:22:27 > 0:22:34But this gorgeous place has had the worst sort of town overspill - dumped rubbish.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Time and time again.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Unbelievable.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Disgusting.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48And sadly the landscape is offering unscrupulous tippers a clear run in
0:22:48 > 0:22:53as local farmer's wife Marion Lewis knows only too well.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58Because of the tree felling, the Forestry put decent roads in for the lorries.
0:22:58 > 0:23:05These unscrupulous people have taken advantage of this. They come when the fog is down, drive up and tip.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10They're beneath contempt. I've got no time for them at all.
0:23:10 > 0:23:16They don't care for the environment they live in or what goes on in the community.
0:23:19 > 0:23:25But little did the scoundrels reckon on our man on the ground, Leighton Case, an Enforcement Officer
0:23:25 > 0:23:32placed in Neath, who is unafraid to get out on the trail of tippers and protect this natural beauty.
0:23:32 > 0:23:39We live in a beautiful part of the world. And to see these people illegally depositing their waste
0:23:39 > 0:23:43without thought, that in itself keeps me going, really.
0:23:43 > 0:23:49What a nice guy. Another one of our tireless enforcers keeping Britain great.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52In a small town like Neath, Leighton knows the local rogues.
0:23:52 > 0:23:59And one man, Steven Llewellyn, emerged as someone he should keep an eye on.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03He's actually been on my radar for five or six years now.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08I think it was 2005 when I first came across him.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13On that occasion he actually dumped on a road and blocked the road.
0:24:13 > 0:24:19So we were sent for and we managed to find some evidence in the waste
0:24:19 > 0:24:23and, subsequently, I seized his vehicle,
0:24:23 > 0:24:29interviewed him and that was the first occasion when I had dealings with him. He's been a good client,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31I suppose!
0:24:31 > 0:24:35A good client? That's one way of putting it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Looking at this, I'd call him more of a scoundrel.
0:24:39 > 0:24:45So vehicle seized, a good grilling from Leighton - did he mend his ways? Not a bit of it.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48That very same year he did it again. Look at this.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53A washing basket, garden chairs, a TV. If it wasn't for the bin bags,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57it could be the prize draw in a raffle. It didn't stop there.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Mr Llewellyn was prosecuted four times over a four-year period.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06He admitted charging to remove the rubbish, but blamed an employee.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11He was found guilty of breach of duty of care and fined over £2,000.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16But nothing seemed to deter this serial dumper.
0:25:16 > 0:25:22It was late November, 2009. A complaint came from a local farmer.
0:25:22 > 0:25:28A huge pile of waste here blocked the gateway completely. This was the only point of access.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Just look at this lot - wood, tyres, palettes. That's serious rubbish!
0:25:32 > 0:25:38He contacted us, we came up straight away. I've got a fantastic team of officers.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Weather conditions were awful
0:25:40 > 0:25:46and we all looked through the waste for evidence. We eventually found a lot from an address in Swansea.
0:25:46 > 0:25:52- Hang on! I think I know what's coming.- I went to that address, found out who owned the property,
0:25:52 > 0:26:00spoke to the owner. In September just gone he had employed Steven Llewellyn to clean out the house
0:26:00 > 0:26:05and he offered to clean some carpets and things for him. Apparently, he offers a good service.
0:26:05 > 0:26:12A good service?! Now I've heard it all. Surprise, surprise - his "good service" doesn't come cheap.
0:26:12 > 0:26:18And he was able to give us a receipt. I can't remember. It was £600 or £700 worth.
0:26:18 > 0:26:25Money that Mr Llewellyn could just pocket as he wasn't paying to dispose of this lot properly.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31Within days, Leighton and his team were called to yet another case of fly tipping. Unbelievable!
0:26:31 > 0:26:37Once again, a very remote location. If you didn't know of it, you wouldn't go there.
0:26:37 > 0:26:43Materials I found were a household clearance with correspondence from a Swansea address.
0:26:43 > 0:26:49Everything smacked of Steven Llewellyn again and, you know, indeed it was.
0:26:49 > 0:26:57He's a strange guy in the sense that he goes back and seems to dump in the same location over and over,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01which I find strange. And having been prosecuted for an offence.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14As you can see, the location is quite beautiful.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19- Fantastic views of the valley and the coastline. - We know what's coming next.
0:27:21 > 0:27:27- The first dump consisted of several drums of oil.- Look at this filthy and contaminating pile.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32Generally speaking, there'd be no evidence among that sort of waste,
0:27:32 > 0:27:39but on this occasion Mr Llewellyn made a mistake. He actually left one number plate amongst the waste
0:27:39 > 0:27:43and it was this that allowed us to track down where the oil came from.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47We made inquiries with the present and previous owner.
0:27:47 > 0:27:53And this led Leighton to link the oil back to a garage in Swansea. A breakthrough!
0:27:53 > 0:27:58His detective work uncovered another deadly substance across the road.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02The garage where it had come from, they operate an MOT centre.
0:28:02 > 0:28:08They have anti-freeze solution that they wanted to get rid of and some of the barrels contained that.
0:28:08 > 0:28:14We took witness statements and they told us it was indeed Steven Llewellyn
0:28:14 > 0:28:20who actually took the waste away for them and they'd paid him £300 for his services.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24What a surprise(!) Steven Llewellyn strikes again.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29He was clearly making a pretty penny from running his "good service".
0:28:29 > 0:28:35To dispose of this stuff legally, he would have to be licensed to carry hazardous waste
0:28:35 > 0:28:40and take it to a registered dump, which would add a minimum of £350 to his costs.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46Not only was his filthy work leaving a blot on the landscape,
0:28:46 > 0:28:50dumping oil and anti-freeze can be a real danger to wildlife.
0:28:50 > 0:28:57Where were their brains? They could kill the animals, not just the cows, but the horses.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59They have no consideration at all.
0:28:59 > 0:29:06Leighton was convinced Mr Llewellyn was responsible, but there were no witnesses to the actual dumping,
0:29:06 > 0:29:13so he couldn't prove it. Then, in October, 2010, as Leighton still struggled to build a case,
0:29:13 > 0:29:19- a new report came through of a dump in the same location. - The second dump was here.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24No more than about 10 or 15 yards from the first dump. Strewn here,
0:29:24 > 0:29:30and the waste consisted of virtually a full household clearance, including a bath and toilet.
0:29:30 > 0:29:36Everything but the kitchen sink, eh? Look at this - wardrobes, mattresses, curtains, an armchair.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40What kind of person thinks this belongs in the Welsh countryside?
0:29:40 > 0:29:46And sure enough, the trail led back to the rogue Steven Llewellyn and this time he admitted his guilt.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50So the dirty dumper could finally be taken off the streets.
0:29:50 > 0:29:57The case was heard at the local Magistrates Court. He was sentenced to eight months in custody.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00We were thrilled with the result.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02It sends a really strong message.
0:30:02 > 0:30:09Another scoundrel behind bars. And the last word goes to Marion, who has a clear message
0:30:09 > 0:30:15to anyone thinking about hiring a man with a van to dispose of unwanted household goods.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17Ask them if they've got a licence.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21If they haven't, you know they're illegal tippers.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26And anyway, people should be proud of where they live and look after it.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Well said, Marion.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Remember this shocking asbestos dump on a playing field in Middlesbrough?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Thankfully, the clean up team has arrived.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47Phil has arranged for specialist contractors to pick up the rubbish,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51and not before time because arsonists have already started.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56Before we start, obviously someone's had a go at setting fire to this last night.
0:30:56 > 0:31:04This is why we want it shifting as soon as possible before the weekend when the lot will go up.
0:31:04 > 0:31:11The contractors wear face masks to make sure they don't breathe in the deadly fibres of asbestos.
0:31:12 > 0:31:18They're licensed to take this carcinogenic cargo to a registered dump,
0:31:18 > 0:31:24where it will be buried underground. Phil thinks the fly tippers need to be given a stronger message.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28I wish they'd get bigger fines, to be honest with you.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32If we get one or two in the paper with a £20,000 fine,
0:31:33 > 0:31:40then I think the message would certainly get out amongst people that it's not worth doing.
0:31:40 > 0:31:46Not only that. It would make this a safer, cleaner and cheaper place to live.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49The locals have been left with a hefty bill for this lot.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53It's cost Middlesbrough council taxpayers £600 for this one job.
0:31:53 > 0:31:59This adds to the grand total of about £250,000 a year,
0:31:59 > 0:32:04which is what we spend on cleaning up after these fly tippers.
0:32:04 > 0:32:10I'm of the opinion that the money would be better spent on other things, other projects.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14You could put a kids' playground in for that money somewhere.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18And obviously it's the taxpayer of Middlesbrough that bears the cost.
0:32:18 > 0:32:24This is why your council tax goes up, because of, you know, these kind of problems.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29After an hour's hard labour, the specialists have finished,
0:32:29 > 0:32:34but look how much stuff is in their van. It just goes to show you how much rubbish
0:32:34 > 0:32:40a filthy, rotten scoundrel thought was OK to dump on a community playing field. Unbelievable.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44Give me a couple of minutes to get down to the gate.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49- Go on!- Luckily, these guys are brimming over with community spirit.
0:32:49 > 0:32:56There's a hole in the fence where vans are getting through, so they pull boulders across the gap.
0:32:56 > 0:33:02This is what I call dedication. Just look at what they're prepared to do to stop people fly tipping.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06- Good on you, lads! - Yeah. Thanks very much.
0:33:08 > 0:33:15A temporary fix, but Phil's already on the case to close down the fields as a dump once and for all.
0:33:15 > 0:33:21I'll put a call in to our Highways Division now and notify them that the side of that property
0:33:21 > 0:33:27has a gap onto the field and what's happening. I want to just get it secured.
0:33:27 > 0:33:34And an update on the case itself - the home owners say they had no idea their waste would be dumped.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39They're in the clear for now, but if Phil can't track down the people who took it away,
0:33:39 > 0:33:44they'll be held responsible. It's a lesson to us all -
0:33:44 > 0:33:50don't think your duty ends when you hand over your rubbish. Make sure they have a waste carrier's licence.
0:33:50 > 0:33:57And if it's asbestos, they need a special licence to remove it, so demand to see it.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08Finally today, we finish our shift in Lewisham, south London,
0:34:08 > 0:34:14where their mobile phone app to report fly tipping and graffiti has helped transform the area.
0:34:14 > 0:34:20Send in a photo on your phone and the clean up job is automatically assigned.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24No automated switchboards, no pressing 1 to speak to someone.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Bliss!
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Without any emails, without any interaction with the council,
0:34:35 > 0:34:41you can use your device to track the progress of the work. Fantastic.
0:34:41 > 0:34:48It IS fantastic, but what's even more impressive is the dedication of the people responding,
0:34:48 > 0:34:52rolling up their sleeves and getting the mess cleaned up.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56If you're going to do a job, you've got to love to do that job.
0:34:56 > 0:35:03It's like footballers love playing football, I like to see the place looking nice.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07That's what makes me get up every morning and come to work.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11It's just small-minded people that do this sort of stuff
0:35:11 > 0:35:14and it ruins it for everybody else.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18- But lucky enough, we're there to clean it up.- What a lovely woman!
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Every borough needs one. Next job - more horrible graffiti.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30My trusty stuff, as always.
0:35:30 > 0:35:36I'll probably irritate around the black and see how it is first, see if it starts running or not.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39And then Vic will just blast it off.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43I think if we get rid of it as soon as it appears,
0:35:43 > 0:35:48the younger kids coming up are not seeing it and don't want to do it.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Gel painted on. Hit it, Rambo!
0:35:58 > 0:36:00It's come out rather well.
0:36:00 > 0:36:06Rather well? It looks like brand-new, Vic. Take that, graffiti vandals!
0:36:06 > 0:36:11Meanwhile, Paul and Leon have a change from furniture removals.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15We have a load of tree cuttings. Quite a lot.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Someone's cut their fir tree down and left it here.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21It looks like that archway there.
0:36:21 > 0:36:27It was probably overgrowing and they've chopped it down so they can walk through.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29And left it there.
0:36:29 > 0:36:35Great that someone's got a taste for topiary, but you wouldn't catch Alan Titchmarsh leaving this mess
0:36:35 > 0:36:40after a spot of gardening. Whoever did this doesn't like hard graft.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44They'd have had to chop it up, bag it up and take it away.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47And go and tip it. So they've just left it there.
0:36:48 > 0:36:55Luckily, hard graft doesn't faze Paul and Leon. Another brilliant job.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Around a third of reports come directly from members of the public.
0:37:01 > 0:37:08The rest come from councillors or the guys out on the streets snapping and sorting out the mess.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12We're doing one job they gave us to actually do on a sheet.
0:37:12 > 0:37:18If we find any small stuff, we'll do all the small stuff all at the same time.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- Vic is gonna...- Take a picture.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35That makes everybody's life, anybody who works manually in the council,
0:37:35 > 0:37:40like the dustbin men, the fly tippers, the estate sweepers,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44anyone like that, take a picture of that and they find it straight away.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53This is a lovely piece of application.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Well done, whoever done it.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Oh, I think it was Lewisham Council, wasn't it?
0:37:59 > 0:38:03Someone's glowing with pride, aren't they? And quite right, too.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Next job - it's relentless, this, isn't it?
0:38:06 > 0:38:12Unfortunately, big black doors to an electricity substation are a perfect canvas
0:38:12 > 0:38:18for the graffiti brigade. It's a war of attrition between Julie and the vandal.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23What I've found over the years is that if you keep going back and cleaning it
0:38:23 > 0:38:27every time it's done in the same places, eventually they give up.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32It's costing them too much money. They'll sit and think it looks great,
0:38:32 > 0:38:38and then the next day it's not there any more. So they think, "Oh, flippin' heck!"
0:38:38 > 0:38:44They go and do it again, in exactly the same place, and then eventually when they see it just gets cleaned,
0:38:44 > 0:38:49- they don't bother doing it there any more.- Something tells me
0:38:49 > 0:38:53this is a war Julie's going to win. And the locals are behind her.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58If you don't remove graffiti, it just encourages people to do more.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02And it blights the whole landscape.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06The landscape and sometimes your own property.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10I just had some graffiti put on my front garden wall,
0:39:10 > 0:39:17which is the first time it's ever happened to me. I'm not in the hanging and flogging brigade,
0:39:17 > 0:39:22but I don't think they'll get punished enough. I won't say they ought to be shot,
0:39:22 > 0:39:26- but it wouldn't bother me if they were.- Steady on!
0:39:26 > 0:39:31I don't think I'd be too happy if I woke up to graffiti on my wall.
0:39:31 > 0:39:36The doors are restored to their former glory. Another for the album.
0:39:36 > 0:39:42And Vic and Julie are off to be good neighbours. It's the work of the same rotter from the substation.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47I've got one of those sprays, but yours is stronger than mine.
0:39:47 > 0:39:54Otherwise, I'd have painted over it, I suppose, which would mean painting the whole wall, probably.
0:40:07 > 0:40:14Yeah, I'm glad I ran into you! I couldn't have done that myself, I don't think.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18I'm very grateful. I think they're doing a good job.
0:40:18 > 0:40:24- Call that number if it ever comes again and we'll come straight out and do it.- Thanks very much.
0:40:24 > 0:40:31- You're welcome. - Ah! I don't know about you, but I've got a lovely warm feeling inside.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36And it shows that those without a smartphone or internet needn't worry
0:40:36 > 0:40:42because traditional methods like phoning the council or stumbling across the team still work.
0:40:42 > 0:40:48Back on the fly tip patrol, Paul and Leon haven't been slacking either. They're collecting.
0:40:48 > 0:40:55One medium-sized tree and, hold on, is that a plaid sofa I see there, nestling in debris?
0:40:55 > 0:40:58So how many is that now? Four? Five?
0:41:00 > 0:41:04A shopping trolley full of things way past their sell-by date.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Contents of a bedroom - divan, base and carpet.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10And builder's rubble.
0:41:16 > 0:41:23- But it's the old favourite keeping them busy.- What is it? - I think a sofa and a table.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29Another sofa? Has anyone in Lewisham got one in their front room?!
0:41:29 > 0:41:36It's off the street, into the van and another bit of pavement left spick and span. Lovely jubbly.
0:41:38 > 0:41:44It may be a relentless battle for our guys, but the Love Lewisham phone app is making a difference.
0:41:44 > 0:41:50Love Lewisham has had a really positive impact on the borough. It's raised residents' satisfaction,
0:41:50 > 0:41:55it's saved money for the taxpayer and made it a more pleasant place.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00The borough are pretty good at tidying up the mess left by certain individuals.
0:42:00 > 0:42:08I don't notice much graffiti around here. Maybe the phone apps, those sorts of things, are working.
0:42:08 > 0:42:14It does seem that with this app that the graffiti is being kept down a lot more.
0:42:14 > 0:42:21We've had a good day today, made a customer really happy that the graffiti's gone off his wall
0:42:21 > 0:42:26and now we're going home. So we'll see you whenever. Ciao!
0:42:30 > 0:42:38Julie and all the clean up teams in Lewisham, you bring sunshine and make it a brighter place to live.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Hello, mate. Welcome to Lewisham!
0:42:42 > 0:42:48- We thank you. - # Bring me sunshine... #
0:42:48 > 0:42:50It's a rotten job,
0:42:50 > 0:42:57but luckily there's a whole army of people working tirelessly to keep our streets clean and country green.
0:42:57 > 0:43:03Join us next time when we'll be chasing down more filthy, rotten scoundrels.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk