Express & Star

£500 to charity as councillor 'shops' five fly-tippers

Five people caught fly-tipping in Wolverhampton have been brought to justice and fined thanks to the efforts of a vigilant city councillor.

Published
Councillor Paul Birch

Councillor Paul Birch reported five culprits under the council’s ‘Shop a Tipper’ campaign, which earns members of the public a £100 reward for every person caught.

However, as a representative of the council Councillor Birch is not eligible to collect the rewards – which are paid for out of the £400 Fixed Penalty Notice imposed on anyone found fly-tipping.

Instead he decided to donate the cash to Mayor Claire Darke’s chosen charities, The Suicide Prevention Forum and the University of Wolverhampton’s Mayoral Scholarship Fund.

Councillor Darke said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our city, and those persons who do it deserve everything the law can throw at them.

“Don’t forget that if you pass information to the council that leads to the conviction of one of these criminals, there is a £100 reward on offer – paid for from the fines handed out.

“Councillor Birch has assisted in the bringing to justice of five fly-tippers, and as he is not able to personally claim the rewards, I am delighted that he has asked that this money be donated to my charitable fund.

“That’s another £500 for my good causes which is fantastic news. I would like to thank him and also the enforcement team at Environmental Health.”

The ‘Shop a tipper’ campaign encourages residents who spot fly-tippers to report the offender in return for a £100 reward following a penalty being served. This can be done via the council’s website at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk

Fly tipping is when waste is illegally dumped on roads or land which is not licensed for waste.

It commonly consists of household waste, large domestic items such as fridges and furniture, garden refuse, commercial waste, such as building rubble and soil, asbestos waste and tyres.