Funding for councils to combat fly-tipping

Tyres, fridges and old furniture have previously been dumped in the Bond Street alleyway in Stoke-on-Trent

Cheshire East and Stoke-on-Trent councils are among 26 authorities to share £1m to tackle fly-tipping.

The grants will go towards various schemes, including more CCTV cameras in hotspot areas, AI-assisted camera technology, and campaigns to raise households’ awareness of their duty to only use licensed waste companies when getting rid of rubbish, the government said.

The councils will share up to £50,000 each.

Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said: "Fly-tipping is a brazen attack on communities, nature and our environment."

Cheshire East Council will provide handheld devices to street enforcement officers helping to increase the time officers can spend on the streets and improve engagement with the community, the government said.

The maximum penalty councils could issue for fly-tipping offences has been increased and the money from the fines goes back into more enforcement and clean-up, Mr Moore said.