House Waste Tyres at Your Peril, Says BBC Report

A report produced by the BBC has highlighted the increase of tyre dumping scams following the implementation of recycling laws and the financial risks unwitting property owners are exposed to should tyres be left on their land. The article, screened on Welsh channel S4C on Tuesday, highlighted the plight of Maria Burt and others who have been left with hefty bills for removing tyres left on their property by tenants operating tyre collection operations.

Ms Burt found herself the unhappy owner of 20,000 waste tyres after the people renting storage space from her fled to Majorca to escape arrest. Burt had rented the space to the tenants on the understanding that the tyres were being temporarily stored there while awaiting legitimate recycling. The Environment Agency now expects her to pay more than £20,000 to clear the land. When interviewed, Ms Burt commented: “It’s been a constant worry. Every morning you wake up and it’s on your mind all the time. How can you get rid of the tyres?”

Environment Agency spokesman Iwan Williams replied that the agency is “willing to work with the public to ensure that we dispose of these tyres in a responsible way. But the taxpayer shouldn’t have to pay for the disposal of tyres from private land.”

According to the report, it is estimated that it costs local authorities in the UK around £1.65 million a year to remove illegally disposed tyres.