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Tuesday 18 Oct 2005

ATTLEBOROUGH’S RAILWAY RUBBISH COSTS THOUSANDS

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Two sofas, six mattresses, a washing machine, ten vacuum cleaners, six barbecues, gas bottles and numerous garden chairs – these are just some of the thousands of domestic and garden materials dumped on the railway in Attleborough. To combat the problem, Network Rail, in association with Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council and British Transport Police, is launching a campaign to identify and prosecute fly tippers in the Attleborough area. Mark Tracy-Inglis, Network Rail Senior Programme Manager, said: “The embankments behind some residential housing looks more like refuse tips than the operational railway it is meant to be. It is upsetting to see that people treat their environment with such blatant disregard. As a result we have to spend thousands of pounds clearing it.” As well as being an eyesore, fly tipping can have serious safety implications for the railway. A train could be derailed if a large item, such as a fridge, rolled down an embankment onto the track. Smaller items also cause delay, become stuck in points, jamming them, and metal items can short-circuit the electrical system. Work to remove the illegal fly tipping was carried out in September with contractors working under the supervision of waste management specialist to remove the items by hand to refuse vehicles, which carted the waste to designated areas for disposal. In total more than 30 lorry loads of rubbish have been removed. Councillor Ashford, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council cabinet member for Health and Environment said: “There is no excuse for dumping rubbish anywhere in Attleborough because we already have a civic amenity site as well as a bulky waste collection service operating in the Borough. “The environmental impact of criminal fly tipping is extremely upsetting for local residents. And rubbish strewn alongside the railway track creates a very poor impression for the thousands of passengers travelling through the area by train. We are very pleased to be supporting Network Rail and the British Transport Police in this initiative.” As well as the safety implications to the operation railway, fly-tipping is a serious health issue. Rats are frequently attracted to the waste that is dumped, and we have also found items containing hazardous materials including asbestos in the area, that pose a significant risk to public health. Prosecutions will be sought by the British Transport Police, who will be carrying out regular patrols of the area to deter people from fly tipping again. Fly tipping can be reported confidentially to the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40. Report it – don’t ignore it.