Tipper trucks in north London have come under the spotlight of the metropolitan police and environment agency (EA), as crime officers targeted operators carrying waste illegally.
The police said intelligence gathered as part of Operation Angola – a collaboration of various agencies clamping down on criminals dumping significant amounts of waste across the south east – identified tippers as the most likely to be used by illegal waste operators.
In total, 45 trucks were stopped and checked for waste management compliance. EA officers also checked the companies were transporting waste to authorised and legitimate sites.
However, the EA said no vehicles were seized as part of the operation and only advice and guidance were handed out.
But it said that intelligence gathered during the operation would help the EA’s waste crime team home in on criminals.
Daniel Kettridge, EA enforcement manager said: “Over the last 18 months, the Environment Agency has seized and destroyed four vehicles linked to waste crime.
“Operations like this provide a brilliant opportunity to remind carriers about their responsibilities, enhance our intelligence around such practices and take action against those who flout the rules.
“The Environment Agency wants to make sure businesses carrying waste have the proper authorisations to allow them to transport and transfer rubbish – a waste carrier’s registration from the Environment Agency and waste transfer note from the waste producer.
“We also want to make it very clear to the general public that everyone has a duty of care to ensure their waste is managed and disposed of correctly by the people they give it to.”
