New eyes in the sky

The drones (unmanned aerial vehicles/UAVs) allow the council to more easily investigate and access areas with reports of fly-tipping.

Fly-tipping in Sunderland is not confined to back streets and built-up areas. As a large metropolitan and rural area that has hundreds of hectares of park and farmland, such as in the Washington, Hetton and Houghton areas, the council receives reports and information about fly-tipping in lanes, lay-bys and fields.

The council continues to step up its enforcement work by taking on extra powers and new ways of working.

Deputy Leader of the City Council and Cabinet Member for Clean Green City, Councillor Claire Rowntree said: "The vast majority of residents - as they reminded the council in the 2020 Let's Talk consultation sessions - want to see a cleaner and greener Sunderland.

"We already use drones in planning and surveying work, and now these two drones are going to help us in detecting and deterring fly-tippers.

"Investigation and monitoring work that could have taken a lot longer on foot can now be done by air survey. The drones are a smart and efficient piece of new technology that's now being used for residents as we work together on improving our city and environment."

If anyone witnesses fly-tipping they can report it anonymously at https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/report-flytipping or by calling 0191 520 5550.

Neighbourhood Enforcement Officer Andy Proudlock is now a qualified aerial systems (UAS) pilot, and two others are being trained.

Andy said: "We're very much aware of the rules and the requirements and we're also very aware of what a useful tool the drones can be for our enforcement work.

"Gathering evidence and understanding how or where fly-tippers operate can take time and the drones are helping make this work more efficient."

The desire by residents to see more enforcement action against fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour was one of the key things to come out of the City Council's Let's Talk consultation in 2020.

Enforcement action has also included confiscating vans and vehicles suspected of being involved in fly-tipping with five vans crushed in the last 12 months. A sixth van is due to be crushed in coming weeks.

In May this year a Washington man was left with a court bill of £2,684 after he tipped building waste along Foxcover Road, Sunderland.