MORE than 1,100 incidents of fly tipping set South Somerset District Council (SSDC) back £61,000 last year - but so far there have been no prosecutions for illegally dumping waste in the region.

Incidents of fly tipping in South Somerset rose last year and set the district council back £61,000 for clearing it up.

The rise in illegal disposal of waste went against the trend of recent years, which had seen reports gradually declining, both in South Somerset and across the county.

Between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017, SSDC received 1,108 reports of fly-tipping across the region, including 50 incidents in the Chard parish, the third highest number.

The top fly tipping hotspot in South Somerset was the parish of Yeovil Central, which saw 85 incidents reported over the last year.

There were 60 occasions in Brympton/Yeovil Preston, followed by the Chard parish.

There were between 30 and 45 incidents reported in Yeovil Without, Bariwck, Wincanton, Mudford and Yeovil East.

The Crewkerne and Ilminster parishes rounded out the top 10 fly-tipping hotspots, with 29 and 25 reports respectively.

The figures have all been revealed following a recent Freedom of Information request by your Chard and Ilminster News.

However, the figures also reveal just seven fixed penalty notices were issued to people for the crimes, and there have been no prosecutions in that time.

A spokesman for SSDC said: “Fly-tipping across South Somerset, and the county, has been steadily declining for over five years, apart from a small uptick in 2016/2017.

“This is clear evidence that the council’s preventive actions, including CCTV and warning signs, to close cooperation with the police and fellow councils, is having a steady impact, as is the council’s strong message to all householders and businesses that simple steps will deter those who wish to act illegally.

“With the numbers declining, the cost is also gradually reducing.”

SSDC has also issued four tips to help cut the crime in the area.

They are; never pay cash for waste removal whether by man-and-van or the waste from work by builders and other tradespeople, always check that those moving waste have their legally-required waste carrier licence, demand a full written receipt, and a copy of the legally-required waste transfer note, and to avoid doing business over social media, via third parties, with anyone who calls at your home, or with people who have unmarked vehicles.

The district council spokesman added: “While fly-tipping in South Somerset, with its many miles of quiet back lanes, remains a tough crime to prevent, detect or convict, the council remains determined to work with the public, businesses and responsible agencies to deter those who blight our beautiful countryside and rip us all off by dumping waste at a cost to the taxpayer to clear.”

For more information, visit www.southsomerset.gov.uk