This was the moment a flatbed truck involved in one of the more bizarre instances of flytipping in Bristol this year was unceremoniously crushed into pieces by city council enforcers.
The white 2001-plate Ford diesel truck had been abandoned in a Bristol lane after its occupants tried to dump a load of garden waste, but ended up with the entire flat bed toppling off the chassis.
So the owners of the vehicle – who hadn’t had it taxed for 18 months, but had got a new MoT certificate for it just six days earlier – simply left the entire truck, flat bed and its load of waste, abandoning it to completely block the lane.
It wasn’t the first time that had happened either. Days earlier, the lane was blocked by a load waste – although no truck that time – and council enforcers suspected the same people were responsible.
The incident happened – or at least was discovered by Bristol City Council ’s Neighbourhood Enforcenment Team – at 3pm on Monday, September 16, in Fernhill Lane, a side road that links the main road past the Blaise Castle Estate with Lawrence Weston. The road was completely blocked for hours after the truck was abandoned.
The Neighbourhood Enforcement Team formally seized the vehicle, while properly disposing of its load, and waited for the owner to come and claim it. Perhaps because coming to claim the truck would mean owning up to abandoning it and flytipping, no one did.
So earlier this month, after the deadline passed for the truck to be claimed, it was stripped and then lowered into a vehicle crusher.
Bristol Live WhatsApp Breaking News and Top Stories
Join Bristol Live’s WhatsApp community for top stories and breaking news sent directly to your phone
Bristol Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.
Through the app, we’ll send the latest breaking news, top stories, exclusives and much more straight to your phone.
To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Bristol Live team.
We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.
To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.