Fly tippers have been branded “environmental vandals” after a large commercial fridge was found dumped in a Fife cemetery.
Fife Council staff discovered the appliance abandoned in Inverkeithing Cemetery on Tuesday just yards from graves and a ‘no dumping’ sign.
Officers from the council’s Safer Communities team posted images of the fly tipping on social media and said: “A commercial freezer dumped in Inverkeithing Cemetery Car Park.
“No respect, no conscience, no thought for others.”
‘I’m appalled by this’
Councillor Ross Vettraino – convener of the Environment, Protective Services and Community Safety Committee – voiced his anger at the latest incident of illegal dumping.
He said: “I’m appalled by this.
“I struggle to comprehend the mentality of those responsible lack of respect the culprits have not only for the cemetery which they have abused but also the wider community in which they live.
“They show no concern whatsoever for their surroundings and even less for the cost to the local authority to have to clean up after them and are nothing more than environmental vandals.
“I now wonder whether there is anywhere left in Fife that these people won’t abuse.”
Identifying repeat offenders
Councillor Vettraino – whose environmental strategy covering all aspects of illegal dumping across the region is being drawn up by the council – said CCTV is now being trialled in a bid to identify those responsible.
“We are currently conducting a trial using strategically placed CCTV equipment in a bid to identify repeat offenders,” he said.
“However our actions need to be further backed up by the law and I have written to the Scottish Government highlighting this.
“I also want the local authority to be given the power to follow up on those who fail to pay fixed penalty fines treating it as a civil debt in which the council can then pursue.”