A van was seized in Sunderland after council suspected it had been used for tipping flies.
Sunderland City Council seized the van from an address in Humbledon View, Ashbrooke on Friday morning.
Similar seizures were also made when vehicles were suspected of having been used by people to tip flies.
Of the four vehicles seized since April last year, subsequent investigations resulted in the crash of two vehicles while the other two were returned to their owners.
The councils are authorized to confiscate any vehicle they suspect to have been involved in environmental crimes or air dumps.
Owners can request to collect their vehicle and the board will decide whether the vehicle will be returned.
If a decision is made not to return the vehicle, it could result in the vehicle being crushed or sold.
Council Chief Councilor Graeme Miller said: “We hope this seizure and others like it serve as a stark warning to all drivers who are tempted to tip the wheel.
“Fly tipping can be a real scourge for communities and our residents rightly want to see it eradicated. So when we come across evidence that a vehicle may have been used for the tipping, we use our legal powers to seize it.
“If the owner does not show up within a certain amount of time to claim it and provide the relevant documentation, we seek to use those powers to crush or sell it.”
Anyone planning to use a private waste collector should check with the Environment Agency that the person or company concerned is licensed by visiting their website https://www.gov.uk/ guidance / access-the-public-register-for-environmental -informations or by calling them on 08708506506.
Councilor Miller added, “I urge anyone who is considering using a private waste collector to do the proper checks first so that they are not unintentionally falling victim to the dumpsters.
“We all have a legal ‘duty of care’ to make sure our waste is disposed of legally, so if you are organizing a private collection it is really important to check where the waste is going and if they have a waste transporter license. valid.
“That way, you’re not going to end up picking up the bill if the collector you used continues to throw your waste elsewhere.
“I also want to thank everyone who helps keep our city clean by taking the time to report fly spills because it allows us to take action against those responsible.
Anyone who witnesses a tip can report it at https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/report-flytipping or by calling 0191 520 5550.