Watch as van is seized in Ashbrooke as council suspect it was used for fly-tipping

Sunderland City Council seized the vehicle from outside a property in Humbledon View on Friday morning (May 14) on suspicion it had been used in a fly-tipping incident in Roker in March.

The local authority has reported that the incident was captured on CCTV and that the council will now make a decision on whether it will be returned to the owner or not.

Since April last year, Sunderland City Council have seized four vehicles on suspicion of similar offences – with subsequent investigations resulting to two vehicles being crushed while the other to were returned to their owners.

Council leader, Councillor Graeme Miller, hopes that today’s action will serve as a warning to others and highlighted the effect that fly-tipping has on local communities.

He said: “We hope this seizure and others like it will act as a stark warning to any drivers tempted to fly-tip.

"Fly-tipping can be a real blight on communities and our residents quite rightly want to see it stamped out. So where we come across evidence that a vehicle may have been used for fly-tipping, we use our legal powers to seize it.

"If the owner doesn’t come forward within a certain period of time to claim it and provide the relevant documentation, we look to use these powers to either crush it or sell it."

Councillor Miller has also urged members of the public to make proper checks when using a private waste collector to avoid unwanted costs if the person fly-tips.

He added: “I would urge anyone planning to use a private waste collector to make the proper checks first so that they don't unknowingly fall victim to fly-tippers.

"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.

Anyone who witnesses fly-tipping can report it to https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/report-flytipping or by calling 0191 520 5550.

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