A vehicle that was abandoned when two men were caught fly tipping off Holbeck Moor has been seized by the council and will be sold to pay for the fight against environmental crime.
The flat bed truck was used to dump five tonnes of rubble on council land next to Holbeck Moor on 26 March. Unfortunately for the truck owners, council enforcement officers were already on the scene having received recent complaints about fly tipping at the site.
The officers were astonished to see the vehicle reverse and discard its cargo. The quick thinking staff used their own van to block the only exit. With nowhere to go, the two occupants of the offending vehicle fled, leaving the seven and a half tonne truck behind.
Using the legal tools available to the council, the person in charge of the truck was identified and has been given every opportunity to claim the vehicle and answer for the occupant’s actions.
With no one claiming the truck within the allotted timescale, ownership of the vehicle has passed to the council. The law says that the council can now use the vehicle in any way it feels appropriate.
On this occasion, the vehicle is being sold at auction. Proceeds of the sale will be used to cover the costs of cleaning up the site and moving the rubble which is now forming a barrier to stop anyone else from using the land as an illegal dump. Any money left over will be reinvested in equipment to help the council tackle fly tipping.
Councillor Mark Dobson, executive member for environmental services said:
“Our continued efforts to wipe out the blight of fly tipping means we are closing in on those who illegally dump waste in Leeds. Thanks to the great work of our staff incidents like this are steadily decreasing.
“To witness a crime in action is one thing, but to take the tools of the illegal trade off the offenders and prevent them using the vehicle for other offences is a fantastic result”.
Although the vehicle has now become the property of the council, enforcement staff will continue to try to identify the two offenders and anyone else who commits environmental crime and will take court action against them.
Residents who witness any instances of fly tipping or have any information that will help identify individuals involved in environment crime can call 0113 222 4406.
