GovWire

The day of action saw Environment Agency officers work in partnership with officers from Cumbria Police, Cumberland Council, Trading Standards, DVSA and DVLA to inspect waste sites and conduct stop checks on road users to ensure that waste was being transported lawfully to suitably licensed sites.

Vehicles were also checked to ensure that they were taxed and road worthy.

Over 35 officers from the partnership inspected 21 waste sites located across West Cumbria and stopped 49 vehicles.

On the day:

• at least 5 waste sites were confirmed to have permit breaches, with another 5 referred for review,
• 3 illegal waste sites were discovered on the day,
• 1 suspected waste criminal was identified by the police after avoiding ongoing Environment Agency investigations for illegal waste crime,
• 13 enforcement notices were issued by Cumberland Council,
• 3 people were found to have illegal number plates,
• 6 warning letters issued to number plate suppliers,
• 1 person was arrested for failing a roadside drug swab,
• 5 untaxed vehicles were clamped and 4 were reported for being untaxed,
• 1 vehicle and 1 trailer were found with defective tyres and received immediate prohibitions, meaning they were not safe to be out on the road,
• a further 2 vehicles were prohibited for defects relating to suspension and the drive shaft.

Environment Agency officers will continue to work with partners to reduce environmental impact at the identified waste sites and taking proportionate action to bring legitimate businesses back into compliance with their permits where breaches on sites have been identified.

This activity includes providing advice and guidance for businesses trying to do the right thing, issuing enforcement notices, and penalising businesses as a last resort.

Determined to make life hard for criminals

John Bunn, Regulated Team Leader for the Environment Agency said:

We are determined to make life hard for criminals by disrupting and stopping illegal activity through tough enforcement action.

The targeted day of partnership action in West Cumbria has shown that at least three waste companies have been operating outside their agreed permits. This is unacceptable and causes significant risks to the environment and impacts local communities.

By working with our partners, we can deliver effective interventions in the areas where it matters, take robust action against those who break the law and deter further waste crime.

Mark Parish, DVSAs Traffic Enforcement Manager for Carlisle, added:

DVSAs priority is to protect everyone from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

Working closely with the Environment Agency and other partners is an efficient use of public resources. By sharing intelligence and working on operations together, well help keep Cumbrias roads safer.

The morning started in Workington, where we stopped 33 vehicles. We relocated to the A596 in Birkby and stopped a further 16 vehicles.

Operation gathered intelligence

Inspector Pete Aiston from Workington Neighbourhood Policing Team said:

We are pleased to be able to support this day of action with our partners.

We value partnership working as it ensures a collective approach to solving problems within the community.

This operation also allowed us to gather intelligence as well as target anyone committing crime and causing harm to the environment.

Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places, said:

The day of action, led by Cumberland Council and the Environment Agency, was a resounding success for all our valued partners in the Cumberland area. It is good to build closer working relationships with partners and enhance our collective efforts to safeguard the environment.

Days of co-ordinated action, such as this one, are a great example of how we can achieve greater outcomes by working collaboratively, using our combined resources to combat illegal activities.

We hope this sends a clear and strong message that as a multi-agency team, safety, and the quality of our environment is a priority. We will continue to work together in force to provide a healthier and more sustainable area in Cumberland.

A DVLA spokesperson said:

We work with the police and other enforcement agencies to tackle vehicle crime and improve road safety. Number plate compliance is important because the number plate is the primary way to identify a vehicle, so it is important that it is displayed correctly.

Our role is to encourage and to educate motorists to ensure their number plates are legal. Having an illegal number plate can carry a fine of 1,000 or, in some instances we can actually revoke the plate.