THURROCK Council's environmental enforcement teams have seized a pick-up truck belonging to a known fly-tipper.

The vehicle was twice spotted in March using Hobart Road in Tilbury to illegally dump waste. The owner now must provide registration and insurance details and proof of ownership to learn if they can reclaim the vehicle or it will stay in storage, at their cost, while investigations take place to bring a prosecution against them.

Council leader and cabinet member for public protection and anti-social behaviour, Cllr Rob Gledhill, said: "Fly-tipping effects all residents, both as a visible blight on the borough and a financial burden for council tax payers who, more often than not, have to foot the bill to remove illegally dumped waste.

"Last year, between April 2021 and March 2022, we dealt with 1,950 fly-tips, which cost the council tax payer more than £200,000 to clear.

"Fly-tipping is dangerous, disgusting and expensive to clear, either for the taxpayer on public land or land-owners if it is dumped on private land.

"This shows that we will take tough action to punish and prosecute all those who think that they can dump their waste wherever they want in our borough."