Fly-tippers leave rubbish outside popular Wolverhampton children's studio
Selfish criminals have dumped ten tonnes of rubbish at the gates of a popular Wolverhampton dance studio that attracts scores of children.
It will cost SA Academy around £2,000 to clear up the mess left at the front of the Ettingshall Road premises by fly-tippers who arrived in a container lorry.
The pile of waste includes household furnishings, children's toys and building rubble at the Parkfield site.
Academy director Sharon Gray said a security camera in the area captured a container lorry arriving on February 14 at about 6.15am.
"It appeared to be carried out by an organised gang using a big truck.
"Since then I have been making a lot of phone trying to find out who ultimately will be responsible for moving it. We rent the unit from a landlord, but the landlord doesn't own the land.
"I have got quotes to remove it, but I can't afford that kind of money. Plus we're worried that the same thing may happen again, costing us even more money.
" We are a large dance and cheerleading academy and this mountain of rubbish may have implications for us if we can't get it moved quickly. I'm frustrated that someone has done this.
"I'm concerned that I'm having to pay for someone else's crime if the dance school has to move it. that doesn't seem like justice to me," Miss Gray said.
She said academy wellwishers were looking into setting up an online fundraising appeal to help cover the cost of the clear-up if necessary.
City of Wolverhampton Council spokesman Oliver Bhurrut said: “We are investigating this report of a large-scale industrial fly-tip which we may have to refer to the Environment Agency due to its size.
“Unfortunately as it falls on privately-owned land it is a matter for the land owner to deal. Although we can't remove the fly-tipping we will of course offer support and advice.
“We do clear up any fly-tipping on council-owned land – but we cannot stress enough that there is no excuse for fly tipping.
“Between the two council tips, a service is provided seven days a week.
“We also provide a garden waste collection service alongside our normal refuse collection services.
“Fly-tipping is a lazy and selfish crime which costs law-abiding taxpayers a lot of money to clear up.
“The council runs regular initiatives to tackle the issue of littering and fly-tipping.
“And thanks to the efforts of our enforcement team and Shop a Tipper campaign we have recently seen a number of fly-tipping offenders caught and fined.
“The message to anyone thinking of fly tipping in Wolverhampton is that you run the very real risk of being prosecuted, fined and publicly named and shamed.
“We would encourage anyone witnessing fly tipping to get in touch with the council via www.shopatipper.com or by calling 01902 555685.”
