A VEHICLE used in a fly-tipping offence in Wiltshire will be put on public display before being crushed in a move designed to send a stark warning to would-be offenders.
The vehicle was seized after Wiltshire Council launched an investigation into a fly-tip on May 11 in Bulford where plastic pipes had been dumped on a public right of way.
Council CCTV cameras captured the incident, allowing environmental enforcement officers to identify the vehicle involved.
Working with Wiltshire Police, officers tracked down and seized the vehicle before interviewing the person responsible under caution.
The vehicle will be on display before being crushed. (Picture: Wiltshire Council)
The offender was handed a £1,000 fixed penalty notice.
However, the case did not end there.
The driver failed to provide proof of ownership within the required 15-day period and reportedly had no documentation for the vehicle. It has now been legally forfeited and is due to be destroyed.
Before that happens, the vehicle will be displayed outside County Hall in Trowbridge on Thursday, June 25.
Council officers worked with police to find the assailant. (Picture: Wiltshire Council)
Wiltshire Council said the unusual move is intended to show residents the consequences of environmental crime and act as a deterrent to others considering illegally dumping waste.
Cabinet member for highways Cllr Martin Smith said: “Let this be a clear warning – if you fly-tip in Wiltshire, we will find you, and you will face the consequences.
“This person not only dumped waste illegally but has now lost their vehicle as a result.
“We are taking the extra step of putting this vehicle on display before it is crushed, so people can see exactly what happens when you choose to damage our environment and ignore the law.”
The council said it has expanded its use of overt and covert CCTV cameras across Wiltshire to tackle fly-tipping and other environmental offences, although locations are not made public.
Fly-tipping costs taxpayers thousands of pounds every year and remains a persistent problem across parts of the county.
Bloody good job. This needs to be ramped up to prevent illegal contamination of areas of natural beauty. A lot of this type of crime is probably committed by these people who advertise man and a van. Who will collect and dispose of your unwanted items, take your money then flytip. Siezing and crushing their vehicles sends out a strong message.