• Neil Robinson next to illegally dumped rubbish in Wattleup (photo by Matthew Dwyer) and, inset, Neil’s photo of an alleged dumper caught in the act.

A POLICE investigation is underway after a plucky 15-year-old confronted a man illegally dumping rubbish in Wattleup.

Walking home from school, Neil Robinson spotted a ute reversing up a track in bushland, off Torgoyle Road.

Curious, the youngster ventured in and spotted a man dumping bricks and garden waste along a track.

Neil told the man he wasn’t allowed to dump rubbish and prepared to take a photo with his phone: the man tried to bend up his numberplate to hide the ID and Neil says he became verbally abusive.

The brave teen stuck to his guns and got a photo of the licence plate before legging it out of the bush to phone his dad, Jeff, who forwarded the photo to the cops.

“My son has always been community-minded and I think it’s great he stood up to someone dumping rubbish,” his proud father says.

A photo of the the dumper, wearing an Electrical Trades Union-branded shirt, was posted on a local Facebook page, prompting a member to jump to the union’s defence.

Cockburn ranger manager Bruce Mentz says the council has not received an incident report and notes the council can only prosecute if there is a witness, or if the offender is caught by a city officer red-handed.

Illegal dumpers can be fined up to $10,000 if prosecuted in court.

A WA Police spokesperson says the incident was reported and inquiries are ongoing.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK