Not in MY Backyard (Lancashire & North Merseyside)

During

• Take photographs of the waste being fly tipped; where possible use the date code on your camera. Photographs may be useful not only as evidence against fly tippers but also to avoid any subsequent misunderstandings by regulators about the incident and your own role in dealing with it.

• Write down as many relevant details as possible for use by the Police, Local Authority or the appropriate Agency. Please record the following details:

1. The day, date and time that you saw the fly tipping (including when the tipping stopped);

2. Who was with you;

3. What you saw;
   (i) Make a note of how many people you saw fly tipping and what they looked like. Did you recognise any of them?;
   (ii) What did these people actually do?;
   (iii) Was there a vehicle involved? If so what did it look like? What was its make and colour and what was its registration number? Were there any distinguishing features on the vehicle?

4. Where you were when you saw the fly tipping;
   (i) What kind of view did you have?;
   (ii) How far away were you?;
   (iii) What was the weather like, and was it dark or not?;

5. A description of what was tipped:
   (i) How much was tipped?;
   (ii) What did it look like (e.g. blacks bags, drums etc)

Afterwards

• Take photographs of the waste itself and any tyre tracks etc. but only when it is safe to do so and don't forget to use the date code on your camera.

• Visually inspect the waste. Stand up-wind of it to avoid any possible fumes. Note down what it consists of, what quantities are involved, and where it is lying - in particular whether it is in, or anywhere near, to water (surface water or groundwater).

• Do not touch the waste unless it is clearly inert. Fly tipped waste can sometimes include toxic chemicals, asbestos, broken glass, or clinical waste (e.g. contaminated syringes). What initially appears to be simply a pile of inert builders’ rubble or soil may actually contain hazardous substances.

• Do not disturb the site. There may be evidence which can lead to tracing the culprits and prosecution.

• Contact your Local Authority for immediate advice on what steps to take to secure the safe removal of the waste. Contact information is on each authorities page on this site together with an online reporting form. Or ring 08701 999 455

You wont be asked for all these details with the online reporting form but an Enforcement Officer may contact you for them later.