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16.
April
2020.
Could UK’s rotting waste replace the pandemic with the plague?

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16 April 2020

London, UK

 

Could UK's rotting waste replace the pandemic with the plague?

Government urged to upgrade recycling workers to critical status and reopen council tips

 

Mountains of waste are being fly-tipped in epic proportions across Britain, according to a company that specialises in remote site security, and they have warned that the government risks replacing the coronavirus pandemic with a plague if councils keep recycling and waste tips shut during the lockdown.

The VPS Group have called on the government to list waste disposal staff as critical workers, require councils to re-open their tips, and allow households to include waste disposal as an essential trip.

Councils and local authorities across the UK closed their tips and waste disposal centres after government advice on non-essential travel during the Covid-19 crisis.

"Illegal fly-tipping in the UK had already reached record levels this year, before the coronavirus pandemic had arrived, at a rate of one dump of rubbish occurring every 30 seconds, with over a million recorded cases in 12 months." Says James Ford, Director of Branch Operations, VPS. "Now though, with council sites closed, it's a free-for-all, and reports are already indicating that figure has trebled."

The fixed penalty fines for minor fly-tipping and the more substantial incidents which can attract criminal records, unlimited fines and 12 months' imprisonment, are not regarded as likely to impact on the problem, according to VPS, a property security and support services company who deploy one of the largest networks of CCTV towers to secure and maintain properties and surrounding land.

"There's just not enough resources available to police this type of crime." explains Mr Ford. "Quite apart from the environmental hazards, the costs to local authorities and to private landowners of the clean-up, there is the significantly serious risk of the spread of other diseases, from the explosion in the rodent population that occurs with rotting waste."

Pest-related problems include bacterial infections like Weil's disease, an infection spread in the urine of rats, and can cause jaundice and sickness in humans. Mice in the UK have also been known to carry a new US-born virus called hantavirus, where victims can suffer a fever and even internal bleeding and organ damage.   Two years ago, an expert from the government's Animal and Plant Health Agency  even warned that the bacterium responsible for the Black Death, which killed 3 million people, half of the UK's population in medieval times, could find its way back to Britain. He said black rats, the bacterium's hosts, had recently reappeared in some parts of the UK, adding "The species has the potential to reestablish large populations in areas of urban decay".

Apart from calling on the government to re-open official waste tips, the VPS Group are also recommending:

  • installing wireless remote monitored CCTV at sites regularly being targeted by fly-tippers
  • that people caught on camera in the illegal act of fly-tipping should be named and shamed


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 Press enquiries - tel 07722282946  askus@knolepark.agency

https://www.vpsgroup.com/

VPS is a specialist provider of vacant property, occupied premises and site security solutions.

In 2019 they were nominated for the fifth successive year in the IFSEC Security and Fire Excellence Awards, for Customer Care and Security Installer of the Year.

Operating from over 50 locations across UK and Europe, they protect over 50,000 properties and sites at any time.


In the last week, news reports include:

"300% increase in flytipping":

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-lockdown-surge-in-fly-tipping-as-waste-teams-stretched-thin-11967938

"flytipping at a 5-year high"

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/scotland/2120767/anger-as-fly-tipping-incidents-soar-in-parts-of-northern-scotland/

Preston's flytipping "spiraling out of control"

https://www.lep.co.uk/news/crime/preston-grandads-photos-show-flytipping-shame-escalating-during-crisis-2528094

"Fly-tipping is not only unpleasant to see but is also dangerous for our environment and wildlife."

https://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/18360134.picture-shows-fly-tipping-upton/

 

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