Cities suffer fly-tipping epidemic

FLY-TIPPING in England is hitting record highs with 646,039 incidents recorded in just five cities since 2013.

London headed the list with 366,087 cases over the last five years.

In second place was Manchester with 91,115 incidents where about 30,000 tons of household waste, including nearly 10,000 mattresses, has been fly-tipped in the region since 2014. That is the equivalent weight of 2,500 double-decker buses.

Liverpool was next with 74,909 and Birmingham with 57,536 illegal dumpings.

However, Liverpool is the fly-tipping capital of the UK when it comes to population size. Liverpool had 13 fly-tipping incidents per 100 people over five years, compared to three incidents for every 100 people in London.

Nick Oettinger of The Furniture Recycling Group said: ‘In 2016-17 it cost councils in England £57.7 million, at a time when budgets are being squeezed.

‘It’s a problem that affects everyone, ruins our cities and countryside and simply passes the waste problem on to someone else.’

The Government has recognised the problem with the proposed introduction of new financial penalties for householders who fail to properly dispose of waste.