A tipper truck linked to fly-tipping illegally dumped waste across London has been seized and crushed by the Environment Agency.
The 18-year-old white van had been seen dumping waste on open land, in empty warehouses and other sites in Croydon, Merton, Mitcham and Southwark in the past year, according to the Environment Agency.
Investigators believe the Ford truck belonged to a group operating at various sites in the capital.
Crime officers removed the vehicle from an address at Chesham, Buckinghamshire, during a wider probe into organised waste crime.
Material left at the sites where the van was spotted dumping included construction waste, tyres and rubbish from house clearances.
Officers continue to investigate the vehicle’s owners, who failed to come forward to claim it before it was destroyed.
Environment manager for the Environment Agency in the South East, Matt Higginson, said: “Where individuals threaten to undermine legitimate businesses and illegally dump waste, we have no hesitation in using all powers open to us.
“Seizing vehicles involved in waste crime, based upon vital intelligence from the public, is an important weapon in our armoury to disrupt waste criminals and can make a real difference to local communities blighted by illegal duping of waste,” he said.
“To avoid unwittingly supporting waste criminals, and facing the possibility of an unlimited fine, we ask the public and businesses to always ask for proof of a waste carrier’s registration and waste transfer note – and take photos of them – before having any waste cleared.”
Crushing the vehicles of suspected offenders is one of the tactics of Operation Angola, which investigates large-scale illegal dumping of commercial waste.
The white 2004 Ford tipper truck was seized using powers under section 34B of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The decision to crush the vehicle was taken as there was no value in selling the vehicle.
