(Image: Bradford Council)
A blitz on vehicle crime and fly-tipping in an inner-city area of Bradford led to 38 vehicles being seized.
Untaxed and abandoned vehicles were among those seized from the public highway as part of the joint operation.
It saw council officers and police swoop on the Great Horton area last Thursday.
The operation also included vehicle recovery contractors Stoneywood, who removed many of the offending vehicles.
Part of the team involved in the day of action in Great Horton (Image: Bradford Council)
Vehicles that were removed included ones that were classed as nuisance, abandoned, untaxed and other non-compliant vehicles.
A further untaxed vehicle was also seized that was linked to suspected waste-related offences.
Fly tipping discovered during the day of action (Image: Bradford Council)
What else did the operation find?
Alongside action on vehicles, Bradford Council Environmental Enforcement officers tackled a range of offences affecting the cleanliness and appearance of the area.
A BMW that was seized (Image: Bradford Council)
During the operation, officers:
- Completed eight business waste duty of care checks to ensure trade was being disposed of correctly
- Opened four environmental enforcement cases, including two relating to waste accumulations in gardens, one business waste duty of care case and one dog fouling case
- Reported five fly-tips for removal
- Reported four contaminated bins which had been fly-tipped for collection
- Put up signs relating to dog fouling, fly-tipping and littering
A vehicle seized during the day of action (Image: Bradford Council)
'A significant result'
Officers also carried out door-to-door engagement, and a letter drop with residents and businesses, providing advice about the correct disposal of waste, how to report fly-tipping and the problems caused by burning commercial waste.
Councillor Ian Walker, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities, said: “This was a really positive example of what we can achieve when council services, the police and our partners work together to tackle issues that matter to local communities.
“Removing 38 vehicles from the public highway is a significant result, but this operation went much wider than that, with our teams also taking action on fly-tipping, waste and other environmental offences.
“These issues can have a real impact on neighbourhoods and on people’s quality of life and residents quite rightly expect us to take action where we can.
“This wasn’t just about enforcement.
"Officers were out speaking to residents and businesses, providing advice on disposing of waste responsibly and making sure people know how to report problems such as fly-tipping.
“We want our neighbourhoods to be clean, safe and welcoming places, and we will continue to work with our partners and local communities to make that happen.”
A vehicle seized during the day of action (Image: Bradford Council)
More action planned
Sergeant Dean Smith, of Bradford South Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Through working together, we have addressed residents’ concerns and have taken positive action.
"We will continue to take action to make the area a safer place for all.”
The operation was well received by members of the public and forms part of ongoing partnership work to tackle environmental and vehicle-related offences across the Bradford district.
Following the success of the day of action, further joint enforcement activity is already being planned.