‘Cowboy operators’ dump piles of stinking rubbish on street corners in Wandsworth

By James Mayer, local democracy reporter

Fly-tipping has been spotted in Wandsworth as “cowboy operators” have dumped piles of stinking rubbish on street corners.

Council bosses are urging people not to be fooled by cold callers who knock on doors and offer a cheap deal to take away rubbish.

The piles of rubbish included carpets, a suitcase and toiletries and were spotted on Brightwell Crescent in Tooting on August 18 – blocking the pavement.

It comes as “cowboys” have been offering to dispose of waste cheaply then dumping it on the streets of Wandsworth, leaving taxpayers to foot the clean up bill.

Resident James Murphy took to Twitter to say he was unhappy with the clean up Wandsworth Council had done on Brightwell Crescent.

He said: “It never ceases to amaze me why the people who remove a fly-tip/overflowing bin can’t bring a brush and remove the debris at the same time.

“Why should it wait for a separate person to arrive days later… it’s not remotely joined-up.”

The council has been contacted for a comment as to why all the mess wasn’t cleaned up and when it will be cleared.

On Thursday (August 19) overnight, a pile of household waste was dumped on the Tooting estate of Aldrington and the council is sure the culprit is a professional fly-tipper.

If residents get an unlicensed removal “cowboy” to dump their waste, they are jointly liable and also are at risk of prosecution of an unlimited fine or prison up to six months.

A spokesman for Wandsworth Council said: “The message is designed to prevent a rash of flytips on street corners caused by cowboy operators who offer to dispose of waste cheaply but then simply dump it.”

The council’s environment spokesman Cllr Steffi Sutters said: “People who dump rubbish on the streets of Wandsworth should understand that we are not a soft touch and we will make concerted efforts to detect and penalise those who commit this environmental crime.

“We have a dedicated team of investigators committed to catching those who pollute and damage our streets.

“We know that some local neighbourhoods are more badly affected than others and residents in these areas can rest assured we are putting in extra resources to tackle this problem.”