The dump detectives on the trail of the fly-tippers

Image caption, Anthony Horan (left) and Ashley Hanley (right) from North East Lincolnshire trace criminals who illegally dump wasteA discarded microwave, a mattress sodden by the rain and even a pile of used syringes. The reality of illegally dumped waste sits before me in a colossal mound next to the side of a motorway.For the team I'm with, this is a jigsaw waiting to be pieced together and solved as they try to identify the criminal culprits.It does not take long for Anthony Horan and Ashley Hanley from North East Lincolnshire Council to find answers within the mountain of waste on the side of the Brocklesby Interchange near Grimsby.They tell me it is a goldmine of clues."I'm gobsmacked at the amount of evidence in this one," Anthony Horan, who works as a senior environmental health practitioner for the authority."I'm disgusted at the needles. I've never found this amount ever."Image caption, Numerous syringes, some used, were found strewn within the heapA number of times during the interview we pause after spotting a syringe close to our feet. Some are hidden under items, others are in plain sight. About 20 are collected to be destroyed. The team tells me this is exactly why they wear protective equipment. Meanwhile, a picture starts to emerge as letters with different names and addresses - all miles outside the area - are fished out and photographed.Horan tells me if evidence which identifies a person is found, they will be questioned. If found liable, they could be fined if they have not properly undergone a "domestic duty of care". "A lot of people think enviro-crime or fly-tipping is a victimless crime," Horan says. "It's not, there's many victims."Horan says people often employ a "man with a van" to dispose of their waste, but frequently the person hired just dumps it.If the waste is found dumped on private land, the owner will have to pay for its removal. Councils only pay if it is on public land.Image caption, The team say fly-tipping costs the council thousands of poundsWearing thick gloves, environmental enforcement officer Hanley continues to dig through the dump.I ask him about rogue waste removers and his advice for people wanting to get rid of waste."I would advise people to take the right precautions, make sure that they're giving it to somebody who has a waste carriage licence," Hanley says."Make sure that you're taking it to a proper waste facility if you're doing it yourself," he adds.The Environment Agency says waste criminals "scar our environment and communities".It says: "Illegal waste dumping is a crime that costs the public purse £1bn a year. We know the challenges and are working hard to overcome them."It encourages the public to report suspected waste crime to its incident hotline or via its website.In August, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said fines for fly-tipping would increase from £300 to £5,000 and offenders could be given up to nine points on their driving licence.Image caption, Hull City Council's fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping is £1,000Across the Humber Bridge, I meet Hull City Council's Streetscene team as they arrive at a fly-tip in the middle of a housing estate. Under this authority, the fines for fly-tipping are higher at £1,000. As teams drag mattresses and wooden planks onto the truck, they tell a similarly frustrated story."It's all over the city and now it's on the rise," says Mike, one of the men clearing the waste. "We've got a job to do so we have to clear it and move on to the next fly-tip and do the same again."Carl Wilson, the team manager, tells me this location is a hotspot and criminals will be back soon enough."This will all get cleared away and then in a couple of weeks they'll probably do it again," Carl says."That's why you need this evidence to catch them, to stop them, to put it to a stop."The authority tells me they often visit hotspots to deliver letters to residents on how to properly dispose of waste to prevent fly-tipping.Image caption, Evidence is collected and photographed as part the investigationBack near Grimsby, I ask the North East Lincolnshire team what their message is to fly-tippers or people considering dumping their waste.Horan is stern."Don't do it because we'll catch you," he says. "We don't want to be doing this, we want you to do the correct thing."Additional reporting by Alice ToonGet in touchMore on this storyRelated internet links