Members of the public are helping to clamp down on the amount of rubbish blighting our towns and countryside by reporting incidents to the Dump Dumpers helpline on 0845 2 30 40 90. Alternatively, you can submit an Online Report Form, describing where and when you saw the flytipping. Please take note of the following, which will help the authorities take appropriate action:
- The date, time and place of the incident.
- What the waste looks like and an estimate of how much there is.
- A description of any people or vehicles involved, if you see them in action, along with a registration number if possible.
You don't actually have to witness flytipping happening in person to report it but if you do see it happening, and there is a chance the offenders could be caught in the act, please phone either the helpline or the police immediately.
Calls are answered by specially trained call centre staff who assess the nature of the incident (including whether it's currently live, if it's likely to be hazardous, or if it's polluting a water course) and pass the details to the relevant authority. If the waste is causing immediate harm they may notify the police or Scottish Environment Protection Agency, but if it is less urgent they will pass the information to the local authority for further investigation.
NB Please only approach a flytipping scene if you're sure it's safe to do so. For your own safety you should not confront flytippers, or touch any materials that have been dumped. This should be left to the appropriate authorities, which have trained staff and the proper facilities to deal with it.
