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A vehicle believed to have been involved in a brazen fly-tipping incident has been seized.
The white van now faces being crushed or sold if the owner fails to come forward.
The van was used to fly-tip a load of roofing materials and MDF boarding in the Westminster Road area of Middlesbrough on Friday, April 4.
The Ford was seized yesterday (Monday, April 14) in Bolton Court in the town under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The owner now has 15 days to claim the vehicle before it is destroyed or otherwise disposed of.
Those caught fly-tipping can face a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of up to £1,000, while prosecution can result in a hefty court fine and associated costs, as well as a criminal record.
Over the last 12 months, Middlesbrough Council has received nearly 6,000 reports of fly-tipping, with nearly 90 FPNs issued in the same period and ten prosecutions successfully taken to court.
Councillor Janet Thompson, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Our officers are relentless in their pursuit of fly-tippers, and that extends to the vehicles they use to commit this most antisocial of crimes.
“There’s no excuse for blighting neighbourhoods like this, and those responsible can expect to be out of pocket, minus their vehicle and with a criminal record for good measure.
“I would encourage members of the public to keep reporting these incidents to us – we will take action, and we will stamp out this scourge.”
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