Fly-tippers face £1k fine as council cracks down

Fly-tippers in Wolverhampton face heavier fines of £1,000 under new measures introduced by the council.

Fines have risen from £400 after the government increased maximum penalties, although payment within 14 days will reduce the fee to £500, the council said.

The first fixed penalty notice with the increased charge has been issued and paid after rubbish was dumped in Graisley.

Money raised from the fines will continue to be reinvested in the council's environmental crime service, it said.

In December the council said it was deploying a drone in its efforts to combat fly-tipping which would identify hotspots, check waste firms were operating correctly and scan areas prone to fly-tipping.

People can also "shop a tipper" and if culprits are identified, fined or prosecuted, residents receive a £100 Enjoy Wolverhampton Gift Card, the council said.

The authority said fly-tipping costs Wolverhampton taxpayers around £300,000 a year and since the start of January last year, 52, £400 fixed penalty notices have been issued.

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services, said: "There is no excuse for fly-tipping in Wolverhampton. In fact, there is no excuse for fly tipping anywhere."

He added: "Anyone who is found to have fly tipped in Wolverhampton will face a fine of up to £1,000. We want the city's streets to be kept clean, green and safe for everyone."

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