Calls for action over 'eyesore' flytipping hotspot

A new CCTV camera could be installed at a ‘disgusting’ fly-tipping hotspot in the city after a recent incident saw a mattress, bed and shopping trolley dumped.

Portsmouth City Council has confirmed it will consider setting up a camera by the recycling bin area of Bradford Road, in Southsea, after several reports of illegal disposals.

It comes as frustrated resident, Brian Morgan, who lives around the corner in Montgomerie Road has reported multiple fly-tipping incidents at the site over the past year as he said the pandemic has ‘worsened’ the issue.

In the most recent incident piles of waste were left at the site overnight between April 5 and 6.

Mr Morgan, 62, said: ‘The whole area is an eyesore, and a potential health hazard at times when food waste is also dumped.

‘Over the past two or three years we’ve had a whole host of stuff tipped there ranging from beds, a settee and arm chairs, builders’ rubbish, food waste – you name it and it has been deposited.

‘You also get food waste and general household waste along with lots and lots of clothes which won’t fit in the bins. You then get scavengers going through all these clothes and also reaching into the bins pulling out clothes.

‘The council workers clear it, which they seem to visit most afternoon or evenings with their truck. Then within a day or so, the process starts again. The whole area around these recycle bins is disgusting.’

He added: ‘A simple CCTV installation in the area would catch the perpetrators, hopefully resulting in a court case and fine, and this would deter others from fly-tipping in the future and hopefully saving the council valuable funds.’

The most recent data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs showed Portsmouth has experienced of the largest increases in fly-tipping incidents in the south of Hampshire, with 974 in 2019 incidents recorded in 2019 – up from 646 in 2012.

Roy Goulding, the community safety manager at Portsmouth City Council said: ‘The most recently reported waste was investigated, to see if any evidence could be located to assist with identifying the perpetrator, but this was unsuccessful and the waste was cleared Tuesday night.

‘The team will continue to patrol this location and we welcome details of any vehicles or descriptions of individuals seen to be disposing of waste to assist with our investigations.

‘The council has also recently been successful in a bid to purchase three additional deployable CCTV cameras for the city and there is potential to install one of these at this site if issues are still occurring.’

Fly-tipping can be reported online at portsmouth.gov.uk/report.