Worcestershire is set to benefit from £100,000 of police funding to help combat flytipping across the county.
The Police and Crime Comissioner for West Mercia, John-Paul Campion, announced the additional funding this week, which will also be spread between Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin.
Over 10,000 flytipping incidents took place across West Mercia in the last year, a 6% increase on the previous year.
In Worcester alone, 341 fly-tipping incidents were reported to the City Council in 2019-20 – 43 more than the previous year.
Dumped waste was found on Worcester's footpaths and bridleways 108 times accounting for 32 per cent of incidents, 31 discoveries were made in back alleyways, nine per cent, and 70 on roads and pavements, 21 per cent.
The latest figures provided to the Worcester News by Worcester City Council's civil enforcement team revealed that 63 fly-tipping cases have been investigated this year, to the end of August, and four fixed penalty notices have been issued as a result.
Commissioner John Campion said: "Flytipping is an issue which is more than just a nuisance. It’s hazardous to our environment and wildlife, and has a substantial cost to landowners and communities. The public have raised concerns and I have taken action.
"Through my investment, and close work with the Community Safety Partnerships, I hope to reduce this detrimental impact, and empower landowners to protect their land from this blight on our countryside."
Organisations will now be able to apply for the funding via local Community Safety Partnerships, which will particularly focus on prevention schemes.
Rob Byrne, Communications and PR Manager from the Worcester City Council, said: "In terms of the PCC’s new initiative, we will be looking at this fund to see if it can complement our existing enforcement efforts."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here