TAUNTON Deane has experienced a steady fall in the number of fly-tipping incidents over the past three years thanks to hard work in prevention and cooperation with other authorities.

Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC) is committed to keeping the borough litter-free and fly-tippers who are bucking this trend and spoiling some of the most beautiful areas in Taunton Deane will not be tolerated.

Action can be taken against anyone caught dumping rubbish, with a range of powers available, from issuing warning letters and fixed penalty notices to bringing prosecutions.

Cllr Patrick Berry, executive councillor for environmental services, said: “There’s no excuse for fly-tipping. It’s an environmental crime. All households in our district have recycling and refuse collections and we have recycling sites. 

“People can also arrange to have bulky waste collected although if they choose to employ someone to take waste away, they should check their credentials to make sure they have a waste carrier’s licence and they should make sure they know where the waste will go.

"Clearing up fly-tipping is an expensive business and it is clearly wrong that people are dumping waste indiscriminately and expecting others to pay the price.”

One of the most important weapons in the fight against fly-tipping is information and evidence from the public.

If you witness somebody fly-tipping you should never confront them but do take down as much detail as possible including the date, time and location, any vehicle details and registration number and a brief description of the offenders and what they were doing.

All this information can help with a prosecution.

If you discover waste after it has been left don’t touch it - it could be dangerous, containing syringes or other hazardous substances - and don’t disturb the site as there may be evidence that could help to identify offenders.

You can report fly-tipping using an online form or by calling Customer Services on 01823 356356.

The council’s new contractor IdVerde will respond to any fly-tipping reports during the day and there is an out of hours service should there be a need for emergency removal.

TDBC works closely with other local authorities in Somerset to drive down dumping and deter, catch and convict fly-tippers. Efforts include better cooperation with police, new surveillance equipment, warning signs and further training for enforcement officers.

There’s more information on fighting fly-tipping on the council website at www.tauntondeane.gov.uk/grounds-maintenance/flytipping-flyposting-graffiti and on the Somerset Waste Partnership website, at www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/about/fight-fly-tipping.