More on Newark Fly Tipping

This is a journalism exercise I wrote for my online course, I thought it might be fun to put this up here for you to read. The people may be fictional, but the issue of fly tipping here very much isn't.

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Anger Grows Over Fly Tipping

Newark councillors today responded to claims that the town has become a magnet for fly tippers.

Newark town council has stated that they are determined to stamp out the problem of fly tipping around the outskirts of the town, after a local resident sent them twenty-three pictures of individual fly tips in the roads around Newark.

“We understand that fly tips are a blight on our townscape, and we are doing all we can to eradicate the problem” stated Council Environment Spokesman Alan Smith.

“If we receive notice that rubbish has been dumped in our area, we will normally try and arrange its removal within forty-eight hours.”

However, the resident who took the pictures, local cyclist Simon Jones, said that some of the tips had been there for weeks without being cleared.

“It's a disgrace. There's builder's rubble dumped on the Cotham – Elston road that has been there for four weeks at least, and asbestos too. Other stuff I've seen includes fridges and freezers, and garden waste too.”

“The council needs to do something about this, and those responsible have to be punished. They are an eyesore and a health hazard.”

Mr Smith denied that fly tips had been left for so long, but added that the council could only remove dumps that they knew about.

“We are reliant on the public to locate and remove these sites, especially those in remote country lanes. They can do this by phone, e-mail or even by notifying our twitter account.”

“If we can identify those responsible, then they will be prosecuted.”

He added that even in times of economic hardship, people should be careful about who they ask to dispose of their waste.

“Many people, understandably, do not wish to pay for the council or genuine waste disposal companies to collect their builder's rubble or old white goods. But it is important they understand that by using unregulated waste disposal, their rubbish may not be disposed as properly as they'd like.”

“In the case of white goods, the metal parts such as the pumps are removed for recycling for profit, while the carcasses containing toxic chemicals are left on the roadside to pollute the environment.”

When we reported Mr Smith's response to Mr Jones, he replied “I don't care how they do it, I just want to see these harmful eyesores removed.”