Hidden cameras to be put in fly-tipping hotspots

Operation Barn Owl is targeting people leaving waste on Salisbury Plain

Hidden cameras are being used in fly-tipping "hotspots" in an attempt to catch people dumping rubbish on the UK's largest military training area.

Wiltshire Council is working with other agencies on Operation Barn Owl, which targets fly-tippers on the Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) in the south of Wiltshire.

The council said its environmental enforcement team would coordinate investigations and gather evidence and intelligence - using "overt and covert cameras" in the process.

Maj Andrew Riddell from HQ SPTA, which forms part of the operation, said fly-tipping "damages the environment, affects wildlife and is an eyesore on a beautiful landscape".

In addition to its military purpose, the SPTA is an important wildlife habitat and includes 50,000 acres designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Wiltshire Council said it received about 250 fly-tipping reports every month across the county.

The authority is working with Landmarc Support Services, HQ SPTA, Wiltshire Police and the Wiltshire Rural Crime Partnership for Operation Barn Owl.

Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways, street scene and flooding, said the council's work in the Salisbury Plain area had previously been limited by access.

Wiltshire Council said it received reports of around 250 incidents of fly-tipping a month across the county

"This great joint initiative means that we can expand our capabilities and prosecute those offenders who thought that they could get away with illegally dumping their waste on the plain because access is restricted," he added.

With military training exercises happening 340 days per year, the SPTA and Landmarc will ensure safe access for enforcement officers to investigate incidents before waste is removed.