FLYTIPPING is one of our biggest bugbears as it ruins our beauty spots and countryside.

And dumping rubbish illegally in Reading means you're more likely to get away with no punishment, according to new data.

The Local Government Association has warned that nationally the offence costs taxpayers almost £50 million a year to clear up.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs data shows 1,835 fly-tipping incidents were reported to Reading Council in 2019-20.

Out of these incidents, fixed penalty notices were issued 53 times showing how the council is taking fly-tipping seriously - but more could always be done.

The figures refer to 2019/20 and showed and placed the borough behind the average for the whole of England for enforcement.

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Reading Chronicle: Photo by PA Photo by PA

Only 1.38 per cent of more than 975,000 incidents nationally resulted in fixed penalty notices.

Fly-tipping incidents in the Reading borough in that time included a mountain of mattresses being dumped near to the Thames Promenade.

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Caversham councillor Richard Davies said at the time:

"Whoever left this pile of rubbish at Thames Promenade, the people of Reading will happily pay to clean up your mess." 

No no, whoever left this pile of rubbish at Thameside Promenade, the people of Reading will happily pay to clean up your mess.
In the mean time, it's lovely to see your detritus when we're cycling along the riverbank 🙁 pic.twitter.com/a2lwO5Q7ki

— Richard Davies (@REDCaversham) September 6, 2020

In terms of fines issued for fly-tipping in Reading, only 2.89 per cent of incidents resulting in Fixed Penalty Notices.

Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence. It carries a fine of up to £20,000 and you can even be sent to prison

A Reading Borough Council spokesman said: "Reading Borough Council takes fly tipping extremely seriously and continues to increase its efforts to manage this

"A new team was employed in November 2019 to increase activity and action taken against fly tipping. Since then Reading Borough Council has sent out over 500 Fixed Penalty Notices for cases where rubbish has been dumped, successfully prosecuted 39 people for small scale fly-tips, and carried out over 170 trade waste inspections

"In addition to this, the Council has invested in CCTV around areas most susceptible to fly tipping and the footage has helped us issue a number of fixed penalty notices."

It is also an offence to allow fly-tipping if you know it’s going on and the police have the power to seize vehicles used for fly-tipping.

If you allow your car or vehicle to be used for fly-tipping, even if you are not driving yourself, you can still be prosecuted. 

Fly-tipping should be reported to the local council or the Environment Agency.

Reporting to the Police should only be where large scale illegal dumping or hazardous waste is involved.