Spy cameras installed to stamp out fly-tipping in Cotswolds hotspots

Spy cameras are being installed in fly-tipping hotspots in the Cotswolds to stop people illegally dumping their rubbish.

It is also hoped the cameras will make people think twice before illegally throwing away their waste.

Last year, Cotswold District Council cleared 1,016 incidents of fly-tipping and is installing the cameras in remote areas often used by the fly-tippers.

Juliet Layton, cabinet member for development management and licensing, said: "We are serious about clamping down on fly-tipping.

"Not only does it cause significant blight on the local environment but it is often a source of pollution, which can endanger public health and wildlife.

She added: "The installation of these cameras will enhance our ability to catch anyone fly-tipping as normally our officers rely on evidence from the fly-tip, or a witness who is able to identify the fly tippers and/or the vehicles they use.

"Now with the cameras we have the vehicle information and potentially images of the fly tipper themselves readily available for investigation."

The cameras have been placed around the district and will be moved regularly.

Kevin Lea, enviro-crime programmes officer at Cotswold District Council, said: "We often see householders paying someone for a waste removal service offering cheap prices, who are not licensed and very often cut corners to dispose of the waste dangerously and illegally.

"It is the householders responsibility to ensure the waste removal service is legitimate or they could find themselves facing a fixed penalty notice."