There have been 4,730 cases of fly-tipping in Nottingham this year - but only two prosecutions

There had been 4,730 cases of fly-tipping reported in the city in the past year - but only two people have been successfully prosecuted by Nottingham City Council.

Despite this, the number of fly-tipping incidents has dramatically fallen since the year 2015-2016, when 7,862 cases were reported.

Fly-tipping is the deliberate act of dumping rubbish in an unauthorised place and it costs on average £56 per incident to clear away.

This means the council has spent around £264,880 from April 2017-April 2018 clearing away waste.

The size of a fly-tip can range from one black bag to dumping on an industrial scale, including items such as mattresses, furniture, electrical goods and building materials.

Information released following a Freedom of Information request has also revealed the top ten streets for fly-tipping in the city.

These include Alfreton Road, Woodborough Road in St Ann's and Broxtowe Lane.

The council says there is no excuse for fly-tipping as they run a free bulky-waste collection service across the city.

If people are caught fly-tipping, as well as being prosecuted, the council can issue a caution or fly-tipping FPNs - a fine of £75 for low level cases.

In September 2018, Nottinghamshire Live reported on a huge amount of rubbish that was left on Ainsworth Drive in The Meadows. It included a lawn mower and a mattress.

Councillor Toby Neal, portfolio holder for community protection at Nottingham City Council, said: “We will always take prompt action on fly-tipping whenever it occurs because it is a blight on our communities.

"However, there is no excuse to dump rubbish in Nottingham because of our free bulky-waste collection service. I’m proud that we remain one of the few local authorities in the country not to charge for this service.

“We will always seek to take action against those responsible for fly-tipping, and fixed-penalty notices are a proportionate way of dealing with most lower-level instances.

"As a stealth crime, it can be difficult to obtain the necessary evidence to prove an offence beyond reasonable doubt, but we will still pursue prosecutions where appropriate.”

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