The Environment Agency have disclosed details of a crackdown on illegal waste disposal in Bexley which resulted in four penalty notices and one vehicle being seized.

The operation say officers pulling over vehicles to check they were registered as waste carriers, clamping down on those disposal without proper authorisation.

The operation was run by Environment Agency officers working with Bexley Council, Met Police, Openreach and the Joint Unit for Waste Crime.

The Agency and its partners stopped 22 waste-carrying vehicles in Erith, issuing four fixed penalty notices for non-compliance.

One vehicle was also seized by officers.

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Matt Higginson, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said: It’s our job to protect people and nature even in these uncertain times, which is why our regulatory and enforcement work continues while we adhere to the government’s guidelines around coronavirus.

This should serve as a warning to those who would flout the law that we and our partners are still fighting to put a stop to waste crime and we won’t hesitate to take action.

Joint investigations will continue with the Environment Agency and, if convicted as a result of legal action, those responsible could face extensive fines and even prison sentences.

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They say that to help avoid giving your waste to an illegal waste carrier and your waste ending up at an illegal waste site, they encourage you to ask for your waste collector’s waste carrier’s registration number and ask to see their waste transfer note, they must be able to produce both.

Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity is reminded to report it to our 24-hour hotline by calling 0800 80 70 60, or anonymously contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

You can check your waste collector’s waste carriers registration at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers or call 03708 506 506.