Fly-tippers face having their image published under new council policy
“We’re going to make examples of them” as Portsmouth targets fly tipping hotspots
Fly tippers have been warned they will be made “examples of” after Portsmouth City Council approved a policy to publicly share images of offenders.
The council’s Liberal Democrat cabinet approved the policy, which will allow images of suspected fly-tipping offenders to be shared on the council’s website and through other “communication channels”.
The policy states that publishing images would “support enforcement activity and is not intended as a tool for naming and shaming”.
Council officers said no one under the age of 18 would be identified and that any vulnerabilities must be considered before publication.
Cllr Lee Hunt said council officers “are working very hard in order to bear down on the scourge on fly-tipping”.
He said residents would “spill the beans” because “Portsmouth is a really proud city” full of people who “don’t want this mess and neither do we”.
He said that while Portsmouth’s streets are comparatively “clean”, there are “fly tipping hot spots” including Highland Road and North End Avenue, which are a “darn nuisance”.
He added that deplyable cameras and CCTV is a “massive warning” to people using hotspots but the council has “had a problem until now about tracing them”.
“We’re going to make examples of them and their faces will be put on the city council’s website if they take the chance to do it.
He added: “If you dare to do fly tipping in some of these places you might well end up with your image plastered all over The News.”
The policy will come into effect tomorrow (September 23), following cabinet approval.
An update report on its effectiveness will be produced within 12 months.
Councillor Stuart Brown, cabinet member for environmental services, said the policy would “give our enforcement officer another string to their bow”.
He also praised the city’s cleanliness, saying: “Visitors to the city do genuinely enjoy a clean city – I had a friend come down from Derbyshire who commented on how clean and appealing he found his first visit to Portsmouth”.