Clearing up after fly-tippers costs councils �100 a minute

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says local authorities spend almost �100 a minute cleaning up after fly-tippers.

The figures come from Flycapture - a database set up to monitor the problem in 2004 by Defra and local councils.

Ministers hope Flycapture will help local councils target problem areas.

The figures show that every day there are 40 incidents involving multiple lorry loads of waste being illegally dumped Baroness Young

Speaking at a conference, environment minister Elliot Morley said: "Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime that will not be tolerated.

"We recognised it was an increasing problem but fortunately, with the kind of information we now have on Flycapture, we can see what is being dumped, where it is being dumped, how often and how much it is costing local authorities to clear up."

The information would be used for a targeted crackdown as part of the government's commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour, he said.

Details of all fly-tipping incidents dealt with by councils and the Environment Agency across the country are stored in the database set up by Defra and the Local Government Association.

Baroness Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said the information contained in Flycapture confirmed illegal rubbish dumping tipping was a "big problem" affecting a lot of people.

She said: "The figures show that every day there are 40 incidents involving multiple lorry loads of waste being illegally dumped."