Fly-tippers should feel force of law

Illegal dumping of rubbish has left an ugly trail across the north-east and Highlands, but a particular blackspot has become known as the “fly-tipping capital” of northern Scotland.

Aberdeen, famous for its stunning streets of granite, is also notorious as a dumping ground for fly-tippers.

It is an unenviable reputation but are we supposed to just sit back meekly and accept this disgraceful situation?

Figures for dumping levels obtained by The Press and Journal are depressing.

Over six months, council staff in the region were made aware of almost 4,400 incidents, with 85% within Aberdeen boundaries – a rate of

20 a day on average .

In comparison, the Highlands reported just 79 overall during the same period and in Aberdeenshire it was almost 400.

This disparity is extraordinary, even allowing for Aberdeen’s denser and more crowded population generating highly concentrated rubbish levels.

As far as these fly-tippers are concerned, people who do not have any respect for their environment or fellow residents, is it simply down to sheer laziness?

The answer is probably yes, but local authorities could do more to combat it through surveillance and mobile CCTV cameras in problem areas rather than passively clearing up. They should pursue tippers aggressively with the courts making an example of them.

“Councils could do more to combat it through surveillance and mobile CCTV”