Surveillance cameras could help clamp down on illegal dumping at a public dock, a nature enthusiast said yesterday.

Jessica Riederer added that “repeat offenders” disposed of waste and that more education would make people think twice before they disfigured the landscape with trash.

She said she was pleased that a public works team removed material dumped at the dock at Ely’s Harbour in Sandys last week but that more waste had been left at the spot since then.

The nature photographer told friends on Facebook that waste collection staff attended “within 48 hours” of the problem being reported in The Royal Gazette.

But she said yesterday: “They went and cleaned it and then when I went to photograph it on Saturday, there was more dumping. It seems to be electrical items.

“The general consensus from people on Facebook is that cameras would help.”

Ms Riederer said that she came across trash at the site in January and posted pictures on social media to highlight the problem.

The images were widely circulated and featured on ZBM News, but the attention did not spark a clear-up until last week.

She shared the latest photographs on her social-media page and they prompted suggestions from other users, including an increase in the number of public waste drop-off points.

Ms Riederer, 45, from Southampton, believed “most of the island” acted responsibly but a group of people were “the same repeat offenders”.

She added: “Education is key and unfortunately, if we can’t catch those doing it, there are no repercussions, and I think people are going to continue doing what they’re doing, why shouldn’t they?”

Ms Riederer thanked the team that removed items last week.

But she said: “From their point of view, it’s probably frustrating when they’re going up there all the time, and it’s an excessive amount of stuff.”

Anne Hyde, the executive director of Keep Bermuda Beautiful, added that the dock was “one of the problem spots on the island” and public sites — including schools — where skips are based also attracted illegal dumping.

She said: “It would be great to find out how we can enforce the law against these illegal dumpers.

“Some of it might be fairly innocent — people know a trash truck comes there, there’s a dumpster there and they think, why can’t I put my TV there?”

But she added: “That’s just not correct disposal of waste.”

Ms Hyde explained that trash fell into different categories and the proper disposal methods were explained in a chart on the Government’s website.

She said piles of trash could encourage other people to dump because some felt it was acceptable if they saw someone else had done it.

Ms Hyde added: “People are pointing fingers at the Government instead of at the dumpers.”

She agreed that cameras could help to curb illegal dumping, along with better education.

But Ms Hyde admitted surveillance could be difficult as the process to set them up took a long time and the costs to monitor and maintain the technology could be high.

She added: “Maybe sending notification out to all truckers to remind them of the rules of what goes where and what’s appropriate there and maybe also asking for the co-operation of the people who are normal users of the Ely’s Harbour dock or whatever public dock or public schools to keep an eye out and help inform people would assist.”

• To view the Ministry of Public Works’ public announcement on where trash goes, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”