Fly-tipping cost Black Country and Staffordshire taxpayers more than £1 million

They stain the landscape of our townships and countrysides, blotting laybys, fields and car parks.

But the battle to tackle fly-tipping in our region has yet to turn in the region’s favour.

Councils have been given powers to hand out on-the-spot fines of up to £400.

The Environment Agency has promised tougher action against offenders alongside police and the fire service.

However, new figures out this month reveal an increase in fly-tipping reports to councils in the Black Country, Staffordshire and the Wyre Forest.

And, crucially, they show the cost of the clear-ups – more than £1 million. Money from the tax-payer which could have been destined for communities.

From April last year to March this year, a total 16,458 reports of waste being dumped illegally were received by the region’s councils. This is up from 15,085 the year before.

Of the incidents last year, 209 white goods were dumped in Dudley, 54 tyres were ditched in Wolverhampton and eight animal carcasses were left out in Walsall.

In the Wyre Forest there were 80 incidents of green waste dumped, in Lichfield 128 household waste fly-tipping incidents, in Stafford there were 10 instances of vehicle parts dumps.

Finally, giving a snap shot of the figures, in Cannock Chase there were five chemical or oil drums cleared by the council.

Nationally, over 2016/17 there were 1,602 prosecutions for fly-tipping in England, down from 2,135 despite the rise incidents.

Around 56,000 fixed penalty notices were given out by councils during the period.

Among the fly-tippers caught locally is Jamie Humpage – the first man jailed for dumping rubbish in Walsall.

The 28-year-old, of Booth Close in Walsall, admitted eight offences of dumping rubbish in Coppice Lane, Brownhills, and Back Lane, Aldridge.

He was caught on camera dumping mattresses, wardrobes and other rubbish.

Councillor Chris Jones, portfolio holder for clean and green at Walsall Council, said: “We vigorously pursue prosecutions when we are able to secure the evidence to bring it before a judge. The public play an important part in helping us to do this. If we are alerted quickly, if evidence is captured and filmed it helps us build a stronger case.”

In Sandwell, the council set up a task force to tackle fly-tipping this year. So far, 27 people have been given £400 fines, while reports have dropped up to 40 per cent in some boroughs.Councillor Elaine Costigan, the council’s cabinet member for public health and protection, said: “The combination of rapid enforcement and putting cameras in hotspots seems to be making a real difference.”

And in Wolverhampton, officers are not just tackling those who drop the waste, but also tracing where it came from. Earlier this month, letters inside black bags dumped at Withy Road Industrial Estate were used to find Abid Khaliq, who paid a tat man £80 to take away his household rubbish.

The 43-year-old, of Highland Road, Dudley, failed to check the white van man was an authorised person to transfer waste. He received a £250 fine.

Martin Tett, the Local Government Association’s environment spokesman, said: “The Government has responded to our call for councils to be able to apply Fixed Penalty Notices for small scale fly-tipping – and this is a big step in the right direction.

“When they take offenders to court, councils need a faster and more effective legal system which means fly-tippers are given hard-hitting fines for more serious offences.”

A Defra spokesman said: “Fly-tipping is an unacceptable blight on our landscape, which is why we have cracked down on offenders by strengthening sentencing guidelines and giving councils the powers to hand out on-the-spot fines to fly-tippers.

“We have made it easier for vehicles suspected of being used for fly-tipping to be stopped, searched and seized and will continue to work with local partners to stop this inexcusable crime.”