Council teams up with Met for fly-tipping and illegal drug crackdown

A local authority has teamed up with the Met to crack down on fly-tipping and the illegal possession of drugs.

Greenwich council’s Operation Stop It initiative aims to conduct one operation a month and regularly partners with organisations like the Met, the London fire brigade, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Immigration services and Transport for London, to deal with vehicle-related crimes like fly-tipping.

The council’s latest operation took place in Woolwich Road on May 15. Across two hours the team stopped vehicles suspected of illegally transporting waste. 

Each vehicle stopped was cross-checked against a database of known registration numbers linked to fly-tipping activities.

 The council inspected seven vehicles and issued two enforcement notices for various offences. 

The police issued five citations including one for no brake lights, one for using a mobile phone whilst driving, two for not wearing a seatbelt, and one for driving without a proper licence.

A vehicle was also seized for operating without insurance and with a revoked licence.

The team was assisted by police dogs and traces of cannabis were found in one car, which generated a larger intelligence report for the potential transportation of large quantities of cannabis. This is currently under investigation.

A spokesman from Greenwich council said: “Operation Stop It helps keep our neighbourhoods vibrant, safe and attractive and continues to thrive with this latest operation a prime example.”

To report fly-tipping visit fix.royalgreenwich.gov.uk.

Pictured top: Officers inspecting a vehicle in Woolwich Road on May 15 (Picture: Greenwich council)