The council has introduced the mobile surveillance unit to address illegal dumping, particularly after a severe incident over the summer where oil drums were discarded on Hollyfast Lane. The scale of the dumped drums caused significant damage, necessitating road resurfacing and being described at the time as one of the worst cases of industrial crime.
Cllr John McNicholas, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion, expressed his dismay at the incident and committed to tackling the problem. "At the time I was horrified at the scale of the mess and damage caused. I said we had to tackle the issue head-on. We had to find a way of getting a camera available, and we have found a solution," he stated.
“"This really shocked us all, and I’m delighted that we now have a roving camera that we can use at key locations where there are issues with getting a permanent camera in place. The roving camera will be used in a tactical way and will be a great support to our work to remove the blight of fly-tipping from communities across the city. At the same time, we encourage residents to report details of fly-tipping when they see it."
The council is also encouraging residents to report any instances of fly-tipping they witness. Information can be provided via the council website at www.coventry.gov.uk/flytipping or by calling 08085 834333.
