A camera installed to catch people fly-tipping on Hawbush Road in Bloxwich was targeted in an arson attack just four days after it was put into place. The incident occurred at approximately 9pm on 17 March 2026, when fire damaged the lighting column the equipment was mounted on, forcing Walsall Council to remove it from the site.
While the camera itself survived the fire and is expected to be used elsewhere, the attack has drawn sharp criticism from local officials. Councillor Pete Smith of the Blakenall ward expressed frustration over the incident, stating that the council cannot keep “throwing good money after bad.” He noted that many residents are “sick and tired of seeing their street go down the nick.”
This camera was part of a wider effort by the council to tackle environmental crime, which includes a network of 71 cameras across the borough. These units are supported by a £4.4 million investment plan that includes the use of covert cameras for harder-to-reach areas. The council has confirmed that following this arson, they will consider using these alternative, hidden surveillance tools to continue their enforcement work.
The council is now appealing for anyone with information about the incident to come forward. Reports can be made directly to the council or anonymously through Crimestoppers. The issue of illegal dumping remains a significant challenge, with data from 2025 showing that around half of those investigated for waste-related offences in the borough were from outside the area.
Enforcement efforts have seen some results, with the number of littering fines issued and paid in the borough increasing by 18 per cent between July 2025 and February 2026. Nationally, local authorities in England dealt with 1.26 million incidents of fly-tipping during the 2024/25 period, a 9 per cent increase over the previous year. Fly-tipping is a serious offence that can lead to fines of up to £20,000 (unlimited in Crown Court) or even a prison sentence.
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