Dave Robertson calls for jail time for perpetrators of massive fly-tip

Rubbish dumped on Watery Lane, near Lichfield

Lichfield's MP has said that those responsible for a “genuinely staggering” fly-tip in his constituency should face jail time. 

Nine households were trapped in their homes and around 20 businesses forced to shut after an enormous pile of rubbish was dumped on a country lane in the early hours of Monday morning, blocking the road’s northern end. 

The southern end of Watery Lane, near Lichfield, was already shut because of an ongoing housing development – meaning residents were completely trapped. 

Mr Robertson – the MP for Lichfield, Burntwood and the surrounding villages – said that had caused a “genuine risk to life”, because emergency services could not have accessed the lane. 

He visited the site of the fly-tip on Monday morning to meet affected residents and business owners.  

“This was not a few tyres out the back of a transit van,” Mr Robertson said. “This was an industrial scale, enormous fly-tip, which meant that the lane was completely unpassable from the north.”  

Swift investigation and tough sentencing were essential to deter criminals who commit “industrialised rural crime”, he added. 

“The investigation has to end not only with significant fines, but we really do need to start considering custodial sentences for people like this,” he said.  

Mr Robertson has been in touch with Lichfield District Council about the incident and has written to Staffordshire Police to urge them to take tough action. 

On Tuesday he raised the issue in parliament, and has since spoken with Mary Creagh, the minister for nature.  

Responding to the fly-tip, Ms Creagh said the government was considering reforms to a scheme that registers businesses that buy, sell or transport waste. 

“The carrier, broker and dealers’ regime is not fit for purpose,” she said.  

“I've asked officials to look at what we can do to strengthen that to avoid the sort of casual criminality that we saw [...] in the constituency of Lichfield.” 

“It is clear that with this government, the era of talking is over, the era of action is upon us, and there will be nowhere for these waste criminals to hide.”