Covert CCTV cameras have been brought into the fight against the scourge of fly-tipping in Swindon.

The move is part of a borough council crackdown down on illegal dumping.

Fly-tipping comes with an environmental, social and economic cost for the council so new initiatives have been brought in to try to curb the problem in hot-spot areas.

Since May this year it has handed out 37 fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping incidents in the borough, bringing in a total of £14,800. Money from the fines is being reinvested in the service.

This month, the council is trialling the use of covert mobile cameras in hotspots. If the trial proves successful, the cameras could become a permanent fixture as a means of catching perpetrators.

Signs have also been put up in known fly-tipping areas to act as a deterrent to offenders.

Cabinet member for service delivery, waste and transport Kevin Parry, said: “We are taking a zero tolerance approach towards fly-tipping in Swindon.

"Not only is it a blight on our environment and a potential hazard to local wildlife, but it is also extremely costly to clear up.

“On average per year, the council spends over £200k both collecting and enforcing fly-tipping, diverting much-needed funds away from other priority areas.

“We hope that the new mobile cameras will help to identify more offenders and that we will be able to use the footage captured as evidence in court to ensure more fly-tippers are held accountable for their actions.

He said: “I’d like to urge residents to help us in our efforts to catch fly-tippers by reporting instances of fly-tipping when they see them.

“Residents can also help by making sure that they are disposing of their waste responsibly and using licensed waste carriers if they need to hire somebody to dispose of their waste for them.”

The council was urged to take a stronger stance against fly-tipping earlier this year by Labour shadow-lead on communities and culture Coun Adorabelle Shaikh, who said as well as enforcement the authority needed to find out what was driving the behaviour.

Anyone who witnesses fly-tipping is urged to report it on the Council’s website at swindon.gov.uk/flytipping