Dumped tyres create Lincolnshire flooding risk

The Lincolnshire village of Swaton was threatened with flooding thanks to the actions of tyre dumpers. On January 31 the Environment Agency was notified that around 150 used passenger cars dumped in the Swaton Eau had blocked the river channel, causing a back up of water.

The Agency’s Boston and Grantham based Operations Delivery staff were quickly at the scene. “The tyres were blocking the river channel,” commented Adam Robinson, Operations Delivery team leader at Boston. “As a result, water was beginning to back up and could have threatened to flood Swaton village as well as the A52, the main road between Grantham and Boston. Luckily, this blockage was reported before it caused any real problems and our quick emergency response prevented this incident escalating.”

The tyres were removed from the river within two hours and taken to Envirotyre UK Ltd in Boston. “Whoever chose to dump these tyres acted extremely irresponsibly,” Robinson added. “Their actions could have caused misery to homeowners and a hazard for drivers. Fly-tipping incidents are something we see all too often and any rubbish within a watercourse has the potential to cause a blockage and increase the risk of flooding. We would therefore urge anyone who sees anything they believe may be a flood risk to contact us.”

Anyone with information can contact Lincolnshire Police on 0300 111 0300. The Environment Agency notes that fly-tipping on another person’s land could result in an unlimited fine and a prison sentence of up to five years.