Fly-tippers warned off from Jowkin Lane and Greenbooth Road

The ‘We’re Watching You’ signs were installed on 1 December, in a bid to deter fly-tippers from the two roads

Signs deterring fly-tippers have been installed along Greenbooth Road and Jowkin Lane, following the success of similar signs in Ashworth Valley.

The ‘We’re Watching You’ signs were installed on 1 December, in a bid to deter fly-tippers from the two roads.

Paul Ellison, of the Friends of Ashworth Valley, added the signs as he says incidents of large tips have reduced in Ashworth.

Earlier this year, figures from the BBC Shared Data Unit showed that Rochdale had one of the highest rates of major fly-tipping incidents in the country last year.

In 2018/19, 939 major incidents were recorded in the borough – the eighth highest in England – costing £300,210.

The cost of removing such large-scale fly-tipping locally last year took up a 52% chunk of the overall clearance cost – even though the number of large incidents accounted for 18% cent of the total of all fly-tipping incidents reported.

In total for the year 2018/19, local taxpayers spent £576,047 clearing 5,218 incidents.

Councils are able to issue on-the-spot fines to fly-tippers and to stop, search and seize vehicles suspected of being used for fly-tipping.

Local authorities and the Environment Agency are also able to issue penalties of up to £400 to householders who do not pass their waste to a licensed carrier and whose waste is then found fly-tipped.

If you have any information about fly-tipping or those responsible, please report it at rochdale.gov.uk/flytipping or by calling 0300 303 8884.

Information about how to dispose of bulky waste and the locations of recycling centres can be found at rochdale.gov.uk/recycling.