Fine increase as fly tipping reaches record levels

Crawley Borough Council has increased fines for fly tipping in an attempt to stem the problem

A "record-breaking" number of fly-tipping reports were made in Crawley in the last 12 months, Crawley Borough Council said.

The authority said it received 1,906 reports of fly-tipping in that period and now spends £1.3.m each year clearing dumped waste.

From 1 September, fly-tipping fines will increase from £400 to £1,000 and people caught deliberately dropping litter will now face a £150 fine.

Councillor Yasmin Khan, cabinet member for public protection and community engagement, said teams "work tirelessly" to keep the area clean but litterers and fly-tippers make it "increasingly difficult", adding: "It simply is not fair on law-abiding citizens to foot the bill for this criminal behaviour."

Residents are urged to report incidents to the council, including details of the location, time and vehicle registration.

Ms Khan said the time and resources taken up with fly-tipping has an effect on other essential services, such as maintaining parks and open spaces or repairing infrastructure.

"These new penalties send a clear message: environmental crime will not be tolerated," she said.

"We're asking residents to take pride in their town and help us protect it."

The council said its staff will continue to patrol known hotspots and respond swiftly to public reports.