'We are catching more and more flytippers' say Harborough council

The council has brought three prosecutions and issued 18 fixed penalty notices in the last year as it targets flytippers.

A council spokeswoman said: “Our ‘Tip Off’ anti-flytipping campaign has been embraced by the public.

“They have been reporting cases of flytipping and providing information to help with investigations.

“We have also issued over 120 warnings.”

She added: “We continue to work hard to deter flytipping.

“Our Environmental Crime team regularly patrols hotspots in our Environmental Crime 4x4 vehicle.

“We also work with partners on police ‘stop and search’ exercises.

“And we carry out Duty of Care checks on Business Waste so that we can crack down on people who illegally dump rubbish.”

The crackdown comes as a Kettering woman was fined £300 weeks after her rubbish was dumped in a country lane near Market Harborough.

The woman paid an unlicensed waste carrier to get rid of a huge pile of construction rubbish – and it was dumped at Gibbet Lane in Shawell on July 16.

She admitted failing to take all reasonable measures to secure her waste by letting someone else dispose of it without checking they were registered to do so.

The offender was handed a £300 fixed penalty notice under the Environmental Protection Act.

Cllr Jonathan Bateman, Harborough District Council’s portfolio holder for Environmental Health, said: “Our environmental crime team works hard to take action against people that dump rubbish illegally and we ask people to report anything suspicious that they see.

“This fine should be a warning to anyone who is tempted to use unlicensed waste carriers as enforcement action will follow.”