South Staffordshire Council steps up war on fly-tippers
Attempts to tackle fly-tipping in a district are being stepped up following a rise in incidents during the pandemic.
More measures are being introduced in South Staffordshire in a bid to tackle the fly-tipping scourge which is blighting the region.
Council bosses said there had been an investment in "covert camera surveillance" and that mapping incidents had identified "hotspots".
It follows an Express & Star investigation last month which revealed thousands of fly-tippers were getting away scot-free. Fines were handed out in less than one per cent of cases across the region during 2019/20.
The pandemic has only seen the problem get worse due to an increase in home DIY and tips being closed during the lockdowns of the last year.
Ryan Taylor, street scene performance and 'envirocrime' manager at South Staffordshire Council, said: "The incidents of fly-tipping are unfortunately increasing in local areas but South Staffordshire Council is working hard to tackle these and during the last year have invested in our covert camera surveillance and outreach work.
"From October 2020 until the end of April 2021, we issued 20 fixed penalty notices specifically linked to fly-tipping offences.
"We are also developing our own understanding of fly tipping intelligence and local ‘hotspots’ by mapping incidents, and working with partners such as parish councils, local businesses and neighbouring authorities."
