File:Mattresses in the Snow.jpg

English: 7 February 2012. my partner Zena Brabazon and I had just left the launch event of the Report by the "Citizen's Inquiry" into the Tottenham Riots. It was held at the former Tottenham Town Hall.

Anyone who cares about Tottenham would agree with the aim of one of the recommendations in the Report. That we should all work together: "to keep the streets tidy by reporting problem areas". (Inquiry Report p.23.)

Unfortunately a well-intentioned aspiration is not a programme for action. And no programme is likely to succeed unless it begins to understand the causes and nature of the problems.

On the same page, the Inquiry Report urges Haringey Council to increase "funding for enforcement around dumping". Not something any sensible person would disagree with, surely?

Except that staff working on enforcement against dumping - or anything else - are workmen worthy of their hire. In other words they need paying. So I wondered whether the Inquiry members had even the faintest clue about the sheer scale of Central Government cuts on Haringey. And what this meant for enforcement and many other services.

I'm sorry to say that many of the other recommendations in the report are as superficial and vacuous.

Blue Sky Up Above

But anyway, there we were, walking away from the former Town Hall. Overhead, a beautiful blue winter sky; and underfoot, crisp white snow on Tottenham Green.

With mattresses and bedbases dumped on the pavement nearby. In fact, even more dumping than appeared at first glance. (Please scroll down.)

So did we report it and help keep Tottenham tidy? We did. In fact we spoke to staff from Haringey Enforcement and Veolia who happened to be close by, looking into problems near the High Cross Monument.

Would these dumped beds get cleared quickly? Almost certainly.

Will this make a longer-term difference? Yes. It will probably encourage more dumping. Why is this? I'd would have explained it to the Inquiry if they'd asked me. Although it would have taken a bit longer than the contemptuous three minutes they allowed people. And of course it's only one of dozens of topics they include in the report.

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§ Here is one explanation why more frequent reporting and clearance of dumped rubbish by itself is likely to have the unintended consequence of increasing dumping. § About the radio panel game Just a Minute.

§ Aerial view of where I took these photos.