Homes get 'waste cowboys' warning

Fly-tipping costs Easington Council thousands of pounds a year

Householders who fail to check who is removing their rubbish could face a £5,000 fine, council bosses warned.

New regulations mean people who want household, garden or construction waste removed, must be sure the waste carrier is legitimate.

Easington District Council said the move was designed to combat increasing incidents of illegal fly-tipping.

The council said 50% of waste dumped last year could have been disposed of for free at civic waste sites.

Ian Hoult, the council's environmental services manager, said: "Fly-tippers rely on people not asking questions and not checking registrations.

New weapon

"But now due to new regulations, all households have a responsibility to do this.

"Waste cowboys can make huge sums of money taking away household rubbish and then dumping it illegally.

"But ultimately it will be the taxpayer who covers the cost of the council cleaning up the mess.

"These new powers provide another weapon in the fight to prevent fly-tipping, but it does mean that householders must work with us to tackle the problem."

George Patterson, the authority's executive member for liveability, added: "Every year councils spend millions of pounds clearing up rubbish dumped by people posing as legitimate waste carriers.

"We don't want to fine people, but we do want people to think carefully about who they give their waste to, and don't simply choose the cheapest option."