From March 1, Neath Port Talbot Council will publicly identify those who have been prosecuted for illegally dumping rubbish via press releases.

It’s part of a relentless campaign against fly-tipping by the council, which is currently the leading authority in Wales for bringing successful fly-tipping prosecutions.

Statistics for 2017/18 show the council brought 37 successful prosecutions – virtually half of the 75 prosecutions brought by all councils across Wales and a rise of 117 per cent on the previous year.

But it is felt more needs to be done to tackle the issue of fly-tipping which is a blight on our towns and countryside and poses a threat to humans and to wildlife.

Neath Port Talbot Council Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Engineering, Cllr Ted Latham, said: “We are already the lead authority in Wales for catching fly tippers but we now want them to know they will not only be prosecuted, they will also be identified to the public if they are caught fly-tipping in Neath Port Talbot and have been prosecuted for this.”

Neath Port Talbot Council is also advising residents to beware of cheap, unlicensed removals services who offer to take away waste but in fact fly-tip the material.

They often prey on the elderly and vulnerable to make money out of dumping rubbish.

And new legislation introduced in 2005 places a duty of care on householders to ensure their domestic waste is disposed of correctly so people can be prosecuted for hiring others to dispose of waste illegally – which could in some circumstances lead to them also being identified if they go through the court process.

Householders should confirm that the person who removes the waste is registered to do so; make sure that you receive a 'Transfer Note' (Official Receipt) from the carrier and take the vehicle registration number from the carrier.

Those caught fly-tipping – which is a crime - already face fines of up to £50,000 or even imprisonment and Neath Port Talbot Council now believes identifying those found guilty of the crime, and who have gone through the court process, will be an extra deterrent.

The details of those will be published on the authority’s website and social media outlets and will be issued to the press and media.

More than 30,000 incidents of fly-tipping are recorded every year in Wales costing the Welsh taxpayer more than £2m annually.

Items fly-tipped can vary in scale from bin bags, fridges and mattresses to large quantities of waste dumped from trucks. It can be found anywhere - along roadsides, in lay-bys, in the countryside or on private land.