Ealing Council Wants Fly-tippers to Be Named and Shamed |
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Publishing images of alleged offenders taken on CCTV
July 15, 2025 Ealing Council is stepping up its efforts to tackle fly-tipping by asking residents to name and shame individuals believed to be responsible. It has set up a new name and shame webpage of incidents caught on CCTV of illegal dumping of waste and it wants residents to contact them if they can help identified anyone in the footage. The council uses more than 700 cameras placed across the borough to help identify criminal behaviour. Many of these are in known fly-tipping hotspots across the borough, aiming to deter fly-tippers. There are a number of mobile cameras, which can be moved according to where the highest number of fly-tips are recorded. The council says it won’t put cameras up unless it is deemed absolutely necessary out of consideration for residents’ privacy. Footage from these cameras will be reviewed and, where the council believes clear evidence is available, snippets of individuals caught in the act will be published on the council’s website and social media accounts. Incidents on Acton High Street, Greenford and Southall have already been published. The council will also be mailing residents and businesses, in places where fly-tipping is problematic, with photos of alleged offenders in a bid to identify them. The council has issued hundreds of fines since it increased the amount payable to up to £1,000 this May and it says the introduction of this new webpage is the next phase of the campaign. To track down fly-tippers and issue fines, enforcement officers use evidence found in the dumped waste itself, CCTV footage and videos from witnesses. Residents are also being encouraged to continue reporting fly-tipping via the Love Clean Streets app or the council’s website. Greener Ealing Ltd, the council’s rubbish and recycling contractor, says that 98% of reported fly-tips are collected within 2 working days. Alongside enforcement, the ongoing ‘This is our home, not a tip’ campaign aims to increase awareness of what fly-tipping is, the impacts it has on both the council and the community. Council leader Peter Mason said, “Fly-tipping is not just unsightly – it’s illegal, anti-social and a blight on our communities. We’re proud of our borough and we won’t tolerate people treating it like a dumping ground. This new measure sends a clear message: if you fly-tip in our borough, you will be seen, and you will be held accountable.” Councillor Paul Driscoll, the council’s cabinet member for climate action, added, “This is our home. We all have a role to play in keeping it clean. If you see someone fly-tipping, report it. If you’re disposing of waste, do it responsibly. Together, we can make the borough a cleaner, greener place to live.” When fly-tippers are identified using the council’s CCTV footage, the footage will be removed from the public domain, or faces will be blurred. This is to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR. However, failure to pay a fine can result in a prosecution, at which point the fly-tipper’s identity can then be publicised.
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