A ‘ZERO tolerance’ message has been issued to fly-tippers after two vehicles known to be involved in dumping waste across the borough were seized and crushed.

The two vehicles have been held by Barnsley Council after the drivers were stopped as part of an operation carried out by its enforcement team and the police, one in August and the other September.

Both drivers were unable to produce documents to prove that the vehicles belonged to them within a 15-day period and were subsequently crushed in Goldthorpe on Monday.

The council is able to seize a vehicle if it is suspected to have been used for illegal fly-tipping that could cause pollution to the environment or harm to human health, driven by someone not registered as a waste carrier or used at a site that is breaking the rules of an environmental permit

Safer Neighbourhood Services manager Mark Giles told the Chronicle: “If nobody claims the vehicle within a defined period, the council can choose to sell or destroy it.

“In this case, the council took the decision to have the vehicles crushed due to the saleable value being limited, sending a strong message to those who carry waste illegally.

“We’re not saying we’re on top of fly-tipping in Barnsley but this sets out a clear message that there is a zero tolerance approach to dealing with the matter. If you’re tipping at locations anywhere in the borough, you will be caught and you will have to face the consequences.”

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) revealed that fly-tipped waste cost Barnsley Council £238,224 to clear up in 2016/17.

The council is set to seize three more vehicles and hopes Monday’s crushing will act as a catalyst for more people to be prosecuted for blighting the borough and appealed to the public to help them trace those responsible.

It’s the latest positive step for the council’s enforcement team after the high-profile prosecutions of Alexander Cunliffe, of Cherry’s Road, Cundy Cross and Andrew Green, of Ashwell Close, Shafton.

Cunliffe, 54, was fined a total of £1,531 having been caught dumping in Wombwell Woods on CCTV, while Green, also 54, was ordered to pay back more than £120,000 the proceeds of illegally dumping an estimated 13,000 tonnes of waste.

Council officers are trawling through discarded waste to find evidence as to who is responsible for fly-tipping and vowed to maintain its no-nonsense stance on those caught.

Many door-knocking waste carriers charge money to dispose of general waste, white goods and settees and blight the borough by tipping their load often in secluded beauty spots.

“At the very least it’s a £400 fine and the maximum sentence is three years’ custody, a significant fine, court and investigation costs and people caught can even be disqualified from driving,” Mark added.

“We will push to have vehicles forfeited which will then be sold to recoup costs associated with their case and the expense incurred picking up their dumped waste.”

According to the council, figures for reported tipping are reducing thanks to proactive work by officers and the local authority’s award-winning #EverybodyThink campaign.

Coun Jenny Platts, cabinet spokesperson, said: “We’re taking a tough stance on illegal waste carriers in our borough if you choose to carry rubbish illegally and spoil the environment, then you risk losing your vehicle permanently.

“We will continue to work with the police and the public to tackle environmental crime. Help us to protect our beautiful borough by making sure you only give your rubbish to someone with a valid waste carriers’ licence.

“If that person has no authority to carry waste, you can be held responsible and face court action.”