What to do if you see someone tipping toilet waste illegally (UK)

[mariesnowgoose]

Spotted this on the CAMpRA website and thought it might be worth duplicating here?

We're at that time of year when everybody and his auntie's cat is hiring campers and heading for the NC500 etc. .....

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY TIPPING TOILET WASTE ILLEGALLY

If you see someone dumping toilet waste illegally in a river, the sea or within 50ft of a water course, take a note of the vehicle registration number, the date, time and location of the incident. If you can take a photograph of the perpetrator and their vehicle then do so but don't put yourself at risk by doing this.

You should then pass this information to:

Incident hotline
Telephone: 0800 80 70 60
24-hour service

https://www.gov.uk/report-an-environmental-incident

If you have managed to take photos, then tell them and leave a contact number. They will get in touch and provide you with an email address to send them.

Toilet waste dumped other than in or near water should be reported to the Environmental Health Department of the relevant local council and/or the relevant Water Provider.

Details of these can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council

 

[Eriba]

I would not become an unpaid unwanted official. I would and have told someone directly that the behaviour is unacceptable. Plus it has consequences!

 

[mariesnowgoose]

I would not become an unpaid unwanted official. I would and have told someone directly that the behaviour is unacceptable. Plus it has consequences!

If you follow the directions above I think they're fairly easy to understand.
There's no need to put yourself at risk, so "consequences" (i.e. personal safety risks) can be avoided.

If it's always "someone else's job to deal with it" then nothing stands much of a chance of improving.

That's pretty much why we currently live in a sh*t covered country full of cr*p and litter everywhere (literally!) with people who think they can always get away with anti-social behaviour.

 

[Nabsim]

It doesn’t sit easy with me that everyone becomes informers. Can’t really put any more as it would get political

 

[Eriba]

Unfortunately allowing AN other to take control is not the signal needed by society.
Being brought up in a farming family we were self reliant and had a sense of belonging.
No official to help or " interfere" even my elderly grandmother would stand for what is right.
In my view abrogating social responsibility is not an option.
Tell them straight clear up your own **** and don't come back has an effect.
I understand you may feel vulnerable and pass on your social responsibility, but the effect is also clear.

 

[witzend]

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY TIPPING TOILET WASTE ILLEGALLY

Rub their nose in it

 

[Robmac]

Unfortunately allowing AN other to take control is not the signal needed by society.
Being brought up in a farming family we were self reliant and had a sense of belonging.
No official to help or " interfere" even my elderly grandmother would stand for what is right.
In my view abrogating social responsibility is not an option.
Tell them straight clear up your own **** and don't come back has an effect.
I understand you may feel vulnerable and pass on your social responsibility, but the effect is also clear.

But on your farm if somebody was fly-tipping would you expect a witness to report it along with any possible evidence?

 

[Eriba]

But on your farm if somebody was fly-tipping would you expect a witness to report it along with any possible evidence?

 

[Eriba]

Deal with it at the moment, like a child told " wait until your father gets home" leaving it to others has little or no effect.
I am not going into details sufficient to say it did not happen again.
I read of another who found in waste a invoice to to culprit and took the waste back to there front yard.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I would not become an unpaid unwanted official. I would and have told someone directly that the behaviour is unacceptable. Plus it has consequences!

Yes, a broken nose perhaps, you should never approach a wrongdoer.

 

[Robmac]

Deal with it at the moment, like a child told " wait until your father gets home" leaving it to others has little or no effect.
I am not going into details sufficient to say it did not happen again.
I read of another who found in waste a invoice to to culprit and took the waste back to there front yard.

And if you're not there when the incident occurred would you expect a witness to confront them or report it?

Incidentally there is a lorry yard in our village and we had a constant problem with the drivers dumping bags of rubbish on the verge before getting back to base. I witnessed one driver do this so I picked up the bag of rubbish, went to the depot and plonked the bag of rubbish on the managers desk. He said that no way any of his drivers would do that so I pointed out the company memo which was screwed up in the rubbish.

The next morning there were a team of workers from the depot in hi-vis with litter picking sticks clearing all of the verges and it never happened again. He also sent me a letter of apology and ensured me that another memo had been issued saying any driver caught littering would face instant dismissal.

 

[RichardHelen262]

I cannot understand why anyone would dump toilet waste into a river, just dispose of it into a toilet or elsan point,
And the water board will dump it into the river or sea for you.
Seriously though if I saw someone doing it I would need to approach them.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I cannot understand why anyone would dump toilet waste into a river, just dispose of it into a toilet or elsan point,
And the water board will dump it into the river or sea for you.
Seriously though if I saw someone doing it I would need to approach them.

Sadly true in a lot of places, it is supposed to be treated first though.

Maybe they buy it lunch.

 

[Robmac]

I cannot understand why anyone would dump toilet waste into a river, just dispose of it into a toilet or elsan point,
And the water board will dump it into the river or sea for you.
Seriously though if I saw someone doing it I would need to approach them.

Personally I would have to approach them too Richard and I would make sure they knew I was filming it. But I don't see why anybody would have anything against somebody just reporting it? A lone female would be ill advised to confront them for example.

It's these people who give us a bad name and it's often impossible for the authorities to police this.

 

[caledonia]

I think rubbing their noses in it hoping it teaches them a lesson will be more effective than a costly court process calling you as a witness and they’ll probably get off with it anyway.

 

[Robmac]

I think rubbing their noses in it hoping it teaches them a lesson will be more effective than a costly court process calling you as a witness and they’ll probably get off with it anyway.

I think what is needed is a proper deterrent - £2000 fine minimum for a start (although left to me it would be £10k) and community service picking up litter. A couple of high profile cases might deter some, but no as usual we pussyfoot around these issues.

Unfortunately some will still risk clandestine dumping of waste and unless they are on the DNA database how do you catch them?

And who would want the job of collecting samples for DNA?

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Yeah, great, I can see who all the macho big guys are.

From a personal perspective I'd probably verbally confront someone doing this - in fact I know I almost certainly would.

But then again, depending on who the perpertrator is, I might not fancy being physically attacked and beaten to a pulp in return, and I'm sure most people would feel the same!

Therefore taking discreet photos as per the guidelines from CAMpRA and reporting the "incident" is a perfectly OK alternative in my view.

So unless you guys are so uncivil yourselves these day, or you're ex-cons who follow the first law of the criminal code ("never grass"), I don't see why anyone should have any particular problem with it.

Maybe it's because you'd rather have the excuse to tut, cluck and have a good moan and grumble about it instead of trying to help find different ways to fix/prevent the problem - outside of tackling it head on and maybe getting attacked as a result. Remember it's this kind of black waste dumping that reflects back on all of us - and please don't start giving me all the stuff about "it's people in tents/cars/daytrippers" etc. because, whilst that may also be true, it's irrelevant in this specific context (CAMpRA).

 

[mariesnowgoose]

I would not become an unpaid unwanted official. I would and have told someone directly that the behaviour is unacceptable. Plus it has consequences!

Who says it's unwanted?

 

[Robmac]

Yeah, great, I can see who all the macho big guys are.

Nothing about being macho Marie I used the 'lone female' as an example, I'm sure you would confront somebody doing this in certain circumstances but it could be a dangerous thing to do.

I too would be selective about who I confronted though. I might confront a motorhomer about dumping black waste but I would probably think twice about confronting a bunch of travellers fly-tipping in a layby! I reckon a case like this has to be judged carefully before taking any confrontational action and sometimes a quick photo' and jot down the reg may be the better option - discretion being the better part of valour.

 

[mark61]

It's all good info in the OP. It's just info and advice, it's not an order.

You can still get involved "hands on" if you feel up to it, or report the offence, or you can even turn a blind eye if you can't be bothered.