A tipping case
An interesting little story was related to me by a friend ...
He was talking to one of the City of London Corporation employees yesterday. The forest-employee told him that a few months ago he was sitting in a Forest car park (the only car there) when a large 'van' with mesh sides drew up and the driver started tipping rubbish/garden waste onto the Forest.
Our man went up to him and told him it was illegal. The response...'It's only domestic waste'. Anyway, he put back what he had jettisoned and drove off. The witness had taken the car registration number, informed the local Forest Keeper and a case was started. It was, apparently, then taken over by the local authority. It went to Court and the man was let off with a caution!
The best bit is that the offender turmed out to be a university lecturer..in threatened species!
My own take on this is that three times I've reported fly-tipping that I have seen taking place - twice to the CoL and once to the local council. In all cases I've given statements, even provided photographic evidence in one instance - and in no cases were there any prosecutions. In one instance - the one that included "action" photographs of the offender and his vehicle - I came home from Canada earlier than I needed to attend a court case that was intended, and the proceedings never took place!
Paul Ferris, 4th February 2014