COUNCIL chiefs in Carmarthenshire will pledge their commitment to a new £350 fly-tipping fine this week.

The aim is to deter people from dumping rubbish and save the council the cost and hassle of taking small-scale offenders to court

Anyone caught chucking commercial or hazardous waste away will still be prosecuted.

The £350 fixed penalty notices are for people who dump up to eight bags of rubbish, but will not apply to householders who leave too many black bags out or put them out on the wrong day.

Councillor Philip Hughes, executive board member for public protection, is expected to endorse the fine at a meeting on April 12.

“Of course we would prefer that we didn’t have to issue fines and people had respect for their environment by properly disposing of their waste,” he said.

“But, when people have complete disregard for their environment, communities and fellow residents, we will not hesitate to issue fixed penalty notices.”

There were 1,732 fly-tipping incidents in the county in 2016-17, which cost taxpayers £199,970 to clear up.

Earlier this month Liam Jason Lee, of Brynawelon, Llanelli, was ordered by town magistrates to pay over £1,300 after rubble and rubbish including a kitchen worktop was dumped in a countryside lane in Swiss Valley.

He was one of 14 people prosecuted by the council in the last 12 months.

The power to issue £350 fixed penalty notices was granted to councils in January, following an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act.

Offenders in Carmarthenshire will only pay £180 if they cough up within 10 days.

Volunteer litter picker Joan Adams, of Llanelli, said she liked the sound of the new fines but said enforcement was key.

“Are the council going to follow through with it?” she said. “Are they going to put cameras in (fly-tipping) hotspots?”

Elli councillor John Jenkins described the fixed penalty notices as a “fantastic idea”.

Cllr Jenkins said: “People who fly-tip are blighting our communities. If there’s one criticism of the fine, it’s that it’s too low.”