An “outrageous” fly-tipping operation has seen a mountain of commercial waste dumped on a disused industrial estate in Upper Holloway – and it’s rising by the hour.
Michael Slee, who runs the estate management company for Wedmore Gardens, says travellers set up camp on the nearby Bush Industrial Estate in Station Road just over a week ago.
And aside from some electricity generator noise, it wasn’t really a problem. Until people started dumping lorryloads of rubbish on Sunday.
“It’s still happening today,” Michael told the Gazette. “They came in and we just thought ‘we have to put up with it for a few weeks until they get evicted’.
“But then on Sunday they moved the caravans to the side near Yerbury Primary School and tipper trucks started bringing in commercial waste and dumping it by an old unit.”
Michael said a warehouse, which has been broken into, was being rented – but not used – by Royal Mail, which stationed a security guard there 24/7. But they moved out two weeks ago. And the day after the travellers moved in.
“We have no idea how they knew it was empty,” Michael continued. “We’ve spent a week scratching our heads, trying to talk to the council and the police.
“People are worried about what’s being dumped, it could be hazardous. There’s children playing on it and everything, the travellers’ children. Jumping on the mattresses.
“There’s only one way in and out of Station Road so we’ve asked the police if they can just stop them on the public highway.
“They must be advertising somewhere and picking up this commercial waste. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Michael, whose home provides an “amazing view” of the fly-tipping, added: “It’s a very slick operation. You’d think it was a professional one. We’re just watching it pile up by the day, as late as midnight.
“People haven’t really minded about the travellers being there, but the fly tipping is outrageous.”
Islington Council’s environment boss Cllr Claudia Webbe said the town hall was “extremely angry” about the dumping and vowed “tough action to ensure this mess is sorted out”.
“We are working with the land owner to restore necessary security,” she said.
“Our message is clear to truck drivers and lorries: we will gather evidence of fly-tipping with a view to prosecution and wherever possible will seek the maximum penalties. We will not tolerate such wilful and deliberate acts.
“There is also a responsibility on builders, contractors and everyone else to make sure their waste is disposed of properly and not given to fly-tippers offering a cheap deal. We will prosecute people if we find evidence of their waste in fly tips.”
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