Get tough on the flytippers

Some of you will have enjoyed a walk at the weekend, though not necessarily the view.

For, chances are, you may have come across the handiwork of the fly-tippers, whose illegal dumping is on the rise – for the third year in a row.

Data from the Environment Department (DEFRA) reveals that councils across England reported 936,090 cases of fly-tipping in 2015/2016, up 4% on the previous year .

Clearing up the flytipped rubbish cost councils £49.8million – and it’s cash the councils can illafford.

What may come as a surprise is just who is responsible. We often think the bulk of the dumping is by fly-by-night builders or handymen looking to get rid of industrial waste and materials. It’s not.

More than two thirds of incidents involved black bags of rubbish or other household waste. While there were also thousands of cases of white goods such as fridges being dumped, as well as tyres and construction waste, the bulk is typical household rubbish.

Campaigners say financial pressure on local councils had caused some waste collection services to be cut, which has led to more fly-tipping.

Be that as it may, it does not give people the right to simply dump their waste anywhere they like.

Just because our councils are struggling is no justification for messing on our own doorstep.

The time has come for a concerted effort to stamp out this unsociable and costly crime, and if that means introducing tougher penalties, then so be it.

Who wants to come across a pile of dumped bin waste or babies nappies when walking in what should be this green and pleasant land of ours?