Shocking footage captured by a local resident shows fly-tippers dumping a large industrial fridge, believed to be from a kebab shop, in the middle of a residential street in Dagenham, East London, under the cover of darkness.
The doorbell camera footage, recorded at 11:52 PM on January 7, shows the fridge being pushed off the back of a truck, landing on the pavement with a loud crash. The fly-tippers then drove away, leaving the appliance in the middle of the road.
Local Resident Speaks Out
Colin Aylward, 52, whose camera recorded the incident, described it as just one of many similar cases of fly-tipping plaguing the area.
“People are always dumping stuff here all the time,” he said. “I heard a bang and thought it was fireworks, but when I checked my camera, I saw what had happened.”
Mr. Aylward reported the incident to both the council and the police, but he claims little action has been taken.
“The council workers came around 1 AM and rolled the fridge onto a patch of grass nearby. They swept up the glass but didn’t remove the fridge. The next morning, some men in a red van came and took it, presumably for scrap metal.”
Recurring Problem in the Area
Mr. Aylward, whose family has lived on the street for generations, said fly-tipping and illegal dumping have worsened over the years.
“It was lovely in the 80s when I was a kid,” he said. “Now, it’s just filth. No one cares anymore.”
His camera footage also captured a previous incident in 2020, where a white van drove down the road with rubbish spilling out of its open doors.
Council Response
A Barking and Dagenham Council spokesperson acknowledged the incident and said their Incident Response Unit (IRU) attended the scene shortly after it was reported to their out-of-hours call centre at 12:30 AM.
“Our IRU team made the site safe by rolling the fridge onto a patch of grass and sweeping away glass,” the spokesperson said. “However, their smaller vehicle was not equipped to remove the fridge, so our street cleansing service was notified to collect it the following working day.”
Police Inaction
Mr. Aylward said the Metropolitan Police have informed him they will not be investigating the incident further.
A police spokesperson has not commented on the decision to drop the case, but fly-tipping remains a significant issue in parts of London, with authorities struggling to address the persistent problem.
Fly-Tipping Impact
The incident has sparked frustration among local residents, with many calling for stronger enforcement and harsher penalties for offenders.
“We need action,” said one resident. “This kind of behavior ruins our community, and it’s not fair for taxpayers to pick up the cost.”
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Barking and Dagenham Council or report it to the police via 101.
