THE cost of clearing up after fly-tippers in East Herts and Uttlesford has been revealed.
According to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Countryside Alliance, the problems in both districts are typical of a growing blight across England and Wales.
In the 12 months to the end of March, 1,510 incidents of fly-tipping were reported to East Herts District Council, costing a whopping £58,029 to clean up.
As a result, the authority launched 94 enforcement actions at a cost of £6,388, but succeeded in only one prosecution, which resulted in a £50 fine.
In Uttlesford, it cost £13,363 to clear up after 228 fly-tipping incidents and the council launched 102 enforcement actions as a result at a cost of £3,333, but there were no successful prosecutions or fines.
Alice Barnard, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “Fly-tipping blights our countryside, ruining the beautiful views for which Britain is rightly famous, endangering wildlife and habitats and costing the taxpayer millions of pounds to clear up.
“The coalition Government promised to end this scourge when they published the Waste Review this summer. This is a promising start, however they need to work closer with cash-strapped local authorities.
“By raising the landfill tax in the Budget and with more cuts coming to council budgets, this problem is going to get worse.
“We need a co-ordinated plan which ensures people who fly-tip are caught and punished and provides greater support to local authorities and landowners.”
