‘Enough is enough’: Renewed calls for CCTV to halt fly-tipping blight in West Watford

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, a dirty mattress and several bags of rubbish were left on the corner of Chester Road and Harwoods Road, an area which has experienced a marked increase in fly-tipping in recent weeks.

• Cost of CCTV would be recuperated ‘overnight’ through prosecuting fly-tippers, says council chairman
• CCTV needed to stem fly-tipping tide in West Watford says embattled councillor

Residents and councillors turned out on Sunday to demonstrate their dissatisfaction at the perceived lack of action from Watford Borough Council.

“Residents told me today ‘enough is enough’ – they are fed up with the Liberal Democrat-run council’s complacency at the state of the area they live in,” said Cllr Nigel Bell.

“They want CCTV installed as a deterrent to stop this continual blight on their daily lives. We and they demand action so we don’t have to put up with this.

“If it was in the leafy streets of Cassiobury or Nascot Village, or heaven forbid even Oxhey Village, the Lib Dems would have acted immediately.”

Cllr Jagtar Singh Dhinsda, chairman of Watford Borough Council, echoed his colleague’s thoughts, arguing that the cost to install CCTV on an existing pole at the effected location would be recuperated almost immediately through successful prosecutions.

He said large items such as mattresses and electrical goods, which are often left on this corner, are likely brought in a vehicle, meaning prosecutions would be easily obtained through the use of CCTV.

“Even one or two prosecutions would pay for the CCTV camera. It is the sensible option,” he said.

“If one or two people get a fine, the others would quickly be deterred. This is a real eyesore for residents, it’s on the route to schools and it happens week after week.”

Conservative mayoral candidate George Jabbour agreed about the use of CCTV to catch fly-tippers, saying: “People are less likely to do it if they know they are probably going to be caught.”

Cllr Karen Collett, responsible for community, said: “At present a bid to the PCC is being put together to support an education and enforcement programme in West Watford and similar areas where we have recurring issues.

"The use of CCTV in situations like this is not often successful at making a sustainable change and tackling causes of offences. Apart from the fact of having to identify individuals from the footage, it runs the risk of simply moving the problem on.

"However, I am happy to come with members of our team to talk to residents in Chester Road regarding our bid and how we are working with our partners to tackle this problem head on.”