Van seized over suspicion it was used for fly-tipping after sofa dumped on beach

A transporter van was picked up from an address on Sackville Road, Springwell on Monday morning, February 22 following a fly-tipping incident at Hendon Beach last December.

Since April last year, the council have confiscated three vehicles believed to have been used in fly-tipping and removed them from addresses after they were reportedly being used in offences.

Of the three vehicles seized, investigations resulted in two vehicles being crushed while the third was returned to the owner.

The Council say they are cracking down on fly tipping across the city and will confiscate any vehicle they suspect has been involved in environmental crime or fly-tipping.

Owners can request to claim their vehicle back but the council say they will decide whether the vehicle will be returned.

Sunderland City Council say residents “want to live in a green city” so will enforce legal powers to seize vehicles should it be needed.

Council Leader, Councillor Graeme Miller, said: "If the owner doesn’t come forward within a certain period of time to claim it and provide the relevant documentation, we will look to use these powers to either crush it or sell it as we have done a number of times.

"We hope this seizure and others like it act as a stark warning to any drivers tempted to make money by using their vehicle for fly-tipping. Fly-tipping can be a real blight on our communities and it's something we're determined to stamp out."

Councillor Miller thanked residents for reporting fly tipping and urges anyone planning to use a private waste collector to ensure checks are carried out first so that they don't unknowingly fall victim to fly-tippers.

He added: "We all have a legal ‘Duty of Care’ to make sure our waste is disposed of lawfully so if you are arranging a private collection it's really important to check where the waste is going and whether they have a valid waste carrier's licence.

"That way you're not going to end up picking up the bill if the collector you've used goes on to dump your waste elsewhere.”

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