The number of prosecutions for fly-tipping in Neath Port Talbot has doubled in the last year, new figures show, as incidents continue to increase across the county.

In 2018/19, there were 1,330 incidents reported to the local authority with 61 prosecutions – compared to 1,056 the previous year and 34 prosecutions.

The last year has also seen the introduction of fines being issued to fly-tippers and residents who fail to ensure their waste is given to a licensed carrier.

The fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping are £400, reduced to £280 if paid within 10 days, while for those breaching the householders duty of care the fines are £300, reduced to £150 if paid within 10 days.

The council said since the fines were introduced, they have made £8,430.

A report going before councillors at a streetscene and engineering scrutiny committee meeting on Friday, January 17, said the introduction of fines enabled officers to save time because they didn’t need to produce a file of evidence for each case.

The council said it uses several different approaches to deal with fly tipping, including education, removal and enforcement.

In Friday’s report,  waste and neighbourhood services manager Andrew Lewis said enforcement acted as a major deterrent.

The waste enforcement team publishes updates of the service on social media with photos of rubbish, educational videos, naming and shaming, and requests for assistance from the public.

In the report, Mr Lewis said: “Officers aim to gain evidence to prosecute the depositor but may also pursue the originator of the waste.

“Where the fly tip is small and sufficient evidence is found, officers may issue a fixed penalty notice.

“During the three years, from 2015 to 2018, an increase in the number of prosecutions undertaken has undoubtedly had a positive impact on the number of fly tipping incidents recorded, set in the context of numerous changes in waste policy together with the introduction of the no side

waste policy.”