Fly-tippers should feel full weight of the law

Madam, – With reference to your headline “Not one flytipping prosecution since 2010, says council”, (Courier, August 6) I’m sure there are difficulties and frustrations experienced by the regulatory authorities in tackling this antisocial crime, including the fact that penalties imposed on the culprits if and when they are prosecuted are often not sufficient to act as a deterrent.

However, that is no reason not to investigate and pursue these criminal acts in order to raise the profile and encourage our legislators to take a stronger stance.

There are basically two types of fly-tipper, the first being the “businesses” who will charge householders and small businesses to remove their waste and then dump it at some quiet spot so avoiding any charges to use an authorised disposal route.

I believe that targeting the known hotspots will identify this small number of individuals making a profit from flytipping.

You only have to regularly pass the area at the end of Friarton Bridge Road directly under the bridge itself to see a hotspot.

The fly-tipping at this location has escalated over the last few years and is now falling into the River Tay.

Surely it is not outwith the regulator’s ability to put covert cameras at hotspots like this so giving them the valuable evidence they need?

Householders and small businesses can also do their part by ensuring they only pass their waste to legitimate companies who abide by the law.

The second type of fly-tipper is the one who will dump a bed, an old sofa or some black bags on a quiet lane, usually belonging to themselves or a friend.

They are just lazy, unsociable individuals who can’t be bothered to make the effort to take the items to the local Household Waste Disposal Site where they can dispose of it for free.

Similarly we often see abandoned campsites in some of our most picturesque locations, again due to laziness.

We are a throwaway society and there is unfortunately an element of us who regard waste disposal as someone else’s problem.

However our waste legislation is based on the ethic of “producer pays” and our regulatory authorities and legislators need to do more to ensure this is enforced, particularly where a profit is being made from blighting our beautiful countryside and that ultimately the “polluter pays”.

Paul Charters. 26 Jeanfield Road, Perth.