Van seized as Oldham gets tough on tipping

SEIZED: neighbourhood enforcement officers David Scanlon and Mark Greenhalgh with the van

TOUGH new powers have been used for the first time to seize a van involved in fly-tipping.

The drama unfolded when a council official spotted the Mercedes Vito — packed with waste including an old mattress and planks of wood — in Brewerton Road, Clarksfield. As the neighbourhood officer approached, the driver ran off with a female passenger and child.

The van, being sought after an earlier fly-tipping incident,  was seized through new legislation that came into force in April. The vehicle can be kept for up to 15 days. If it isn’t claimed, the council can sell or otherwise dispose of it.

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “We understand we’re one of the first councils in the country to use these powers. This is an antisocial crime that costs Oldham Council around £1million a year.”