RESIDENTS in Test Valley are being urged to check the legitimacy of businesses they hire to remove rubbish as the borough council look to crack down on fly-tipping.

As previously reported, Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) are investigating four major fly-tipping incidents, which include a number of fridges being dumped in Houghton, and waste being left at Woodley Cemetery, Romsey.

Now, the authority has pleaded with those hiring companies to rid of their waste, to check the business they are hiring are legitimate.

The council say that businesses that cold call residents to offer waste collection or garden maintenance services are often "not legitimate and the waste may be disposed of illegally as a fly tip".

They add that individuals who are not registered to remove waste may also offer such services on social media.

On Monday, a mattress, carpet roll and tree cuttings were dumped on Test Lane in Redbridge. Half of the lane falls within the TVBC boundary, with the other half in the area controlled by Southampton City Council.

Residents have said both need to work together in a bid to stop fly-tippers.

Environmental portfolio holder Graham Stallard of TVBC said: "A spate of cold calling has resulted in large amounts of garden waste being fly-tipped. This has been investigated and removed by the council.

"I urge all residents to report any cold callers or fly tips.

"The council has recently had success in prosecuting fly-tippers in the borough and we will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to this criminal activity."

TVBC say that Andover has been targeted the most.

A number of tips offered by the authority have been issued in a bid to stem the waste being left. They include:

  • Checking they are registered waste carriers by calling the Environment Agency on 03708 506506.

  • Checking where the contractor is proposing to take the waste.

  • Making a note of the registration number of any vehicle removing waste from a home.

  • Pay by cheque if possible and request a receipt for the work carried out.