Constable says CCTV might be needed to stop fly-tippers
A CCTV camera could be installed at Port Grat if people continue to fly-tip their rubbish there, said a St Sampson’s constable.
Paul Le Pelley was commenting after a pile of old mattress filling was dumped on grass on the headland near the pier at the weekend.
And, like several who saw pictures of the rubbish, he believed that this sort of dumping was likely to become more common once the new black bag charges come into effect next month.
One incensed islander posted a photo of the scene on Facebook and Deputy Le Pelley said that by the time he went down to take a look and remove the rubbish, it had gone.
This was not the first time the site has been targeted by fly-tippers. ‘There’s been some ceramic tiles and concrete which we have reported to Environment,’ he said.
‘I’m sure it’s a sign of things to come.’
Lexi Lundberg, who posted the photo to Facebook, said she was not convinced that the fly-tipping had anything to do with refuse charges.
‘I do hope that whoever did this will realise dumping waste like this is an irresponsible thing to do,’ she said.
‘If this had blown into the bay it would be harmful to marine life. I don’t see this being connected to the new waste strategy charges as some people had commented.’
Deputy Le Pelley added that there were many people in the parish on the lookout for fly-tipping. ‘We’ve got an awful lot of people with their eyes and ears open on our behalf,’ he said.
‘One or two people who have CCTV contact us if they see anything untoward.
‘But we don’t have a camera down there [at Port Grat]. If this carries on we may have to put one.’
He said that prosecuting an offender could act as a deterrent: ‘We just need to catch one person and thump them with a £2,000 fine and then there will be a change of attitude.’
