Tippers targeted in cleansweep op

It costs half a million pounds a year to clear fly tipped rubbish

A city council is targeting unregistered waste carriers who cause major fly tipping problems.

Liverpool City Council said on Tuesday it was heading up the multi-agency "Operation Cleansweep".

It will also be checking that vehicles carrying waste are road taxed, if they are using red diesel, are unroadworthy or over-laden.

The operation also involves Merseyside Police, HM Revenue & Customs, Encams, the Environment Agency and the DVLA.

A major target of the initiative are those individuals who are paid to remove refuse from houses and businesses, but instead of taking it to approved waste reception centres dump it on the streets and open spaces.

The city council said it cost half a million pounds a year to clean up fly tipped rubbish.