A man accused of illegally dumping waste outside the town of Hertford, England, was arrested after police caught him with a truck carrying evidence tied to the scene.

According to the Welwyn Hatfield Times, the 50-year-old suspect was stopped on Bramfield Road in the village of Waterford by Hertfordshire Constabulary's Rural Operational Support Team. A local resident's phone call tipped off authorities, and officers detained the man for suspected violations of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Police took possession of his DAF-brand truck and its container; the Environment Agency will inspect both. The man was released on bail as the investigation moves forward.

"Fly-tipping" is the British term for illegal dumping, and if you live in the U.S., you've likely seen it in your own neighborhood. People and companies dodge disposal fees by abandoning trash, tires, and construction debris on rural land, in parks, and along roadsides.

That kind of dumping can leach harmful chemicals into soil and groundwater, poison wildlife, and ruin farmland. Cleanup bills land on local governments and taxpayers.

If you want to keep green spaces healthy in your community, push your local officials to fund enforcement programs and tougher penalties for illegal dumpers. Reporting suspicious activity, like a truck unloading in an odd spot, makes a real difference.

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Hertfordshire Constabulary shared arrest footage on January 27. In the clip, the arresting officer told the suspect, "The information we've got is that obviously this vehicle here is suspected of being involved in a fly-tipping offence."

The officer added, "There's stuff on the back of here that links to things that have been dumped over there. I'm a bit suspicious of the reasons why you're here, I'm not happy with the reasons you've given."

Police warned that anyone convicted of illegal dumping in the U.K. faces fines as steep as £50,000 (roughly $63,000) at the magistrates' court level, with even larger penalties available from superior courts. Offenders can receive court-ordered community service or face up to five years behind bars.

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