Action by Thurrock Council to target fly tipping has resulted in a fall in the number of reported incidents by a third this year so far.

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A programme of activity including undercover operations patrols and proactive action against known and suspected fly-tippers, has been credited with the fall.

For the first six months of 2012/13 there have been 530 reports of fly tipping compared to 774 in the same period last year – a drop of 32 per cent.

This follows on from falls in previous years – down from 1,532 in 2010/11 to 1,299 in 2011/12. The number of actions taken to tackle fly-tipping has also dramatically increased.

Comparing 2010/11 and 2011/12:

  • Prosecutions have gone up from one to five
  • Fixed Penalty Notices have gone up by 69 from 79 to 148 (88%)
  • Warning letters have gone up by 42 from 72 to 114 (58%)
  • Duty of care visits – which check that business in particular have the correct licenses to dispose of waste and have been part of the proactive campaign – have gone up by 169 from 33 to 202 (526%)

Thurrock Council portfolio holder for Public Protection Cllr Angie Gaywood said: “One fly=tip is one too many but these figures show that the work of officers from the Community Protection team has had an impact on the amount of rubbish dumped in our borough.

“I would like to remind everyone that not only does fly-tipping blight our community it costs a huge amount of money to clear and also investigate.

“This is money which could be put to better use for our residents. We will continue our work of both education and enforcement – and will take action against anyone caught fly-tipping.”

Householders are also reminded it is their duty to ensure any rubbish is disposed of properly.

Residents could be liable if items from them are found dumped. Always use a legitimate company to dispose of rubbish or waste and check they have a waste carriers licence (details available at www.thurrock.gov.uk/cleanstreets).