County cracks down on household waste site cheats

Seven stop-and-search operations were carried out on vehicles as they entered household waste sites in February, March and April as part of Operation Luton.

The waste they were transporting was inspected by officers from East Sussex County Council to see if it was trade waste, which is not allowed at any of the 12 household waste recycling sites provided by East Sussex County Council.

Cars were also inspected by police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency to check they were not unsafe or being driven illegally.

As a result, 22 motorists were refused entry and a further 70 cases required further investigation.

Councillor Matthew Lock, lead county cabinet member for transport and environment, said: "This was a great example of agencies working together for the public good.

"Businesses choosing to cheat the system by filling public facilities, which are designed for residents, with trade waste are simply selfish and need to be stopped.

"It was also a great opportunity to identify vehicles that were potentially being driven illegally and to remove that danger from the roads."

Trade waste must be disposed of either by taking it to a licensed facility or removal by a registered waste carrier, rather than at a county household waste recycling site.

Anyone wishing to transport or deal in controlled waste as part of a business or for profit may need to register with the Environment Agency and apply for a waste carrier's licence. Companies caught without the appropriate licence can face large fines.

Where trade waste was identified entering the sites during the operations, representatives from the EA checked motorists for the correct permits.

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency checked vehicles for roadworthiness, while Sussex Police officers checked motorists had the correct documentation, such as insurance and road tax.

Finally, police also ran general checks on motorists to see if any were wanted in connection with other offences or if they were the subject of any warrant.

The county council and the EA together inspected over 200 vehicles suspected of carrying trade waste, ranging from private hire cars to heavy goods vehicles.

In a number of cases notices were issued to vehicles that were not up to standard, requiring the owner to rectify the defect and MOT the vehicle within a set time. In other cases penalty notices were issued to drivers who were driving illegally.

The operation was planned with the co-operation of waste contractor Veolia and district and borough councils. It will be repeated later this year.