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To help tackle the problem head on, and ensure that fly-tipping is at the top of the agenda, the council have planned a mixture of tactics;

A pledge to clear a thousand grot spots across the city in the next 100 days.

Issuing strict £400 fixed Penalty Notices

Successfully securing funding to employ three part-time enforcement staff, who will support the Environmental Crime Unit in ensuring culprits are prosecuted.

Five additional redeployment CCTV cameras, across the city to encourage fly-tippers to dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way.

The council are also talking to residents in problem areas, to advise on how they can dispose of their household waste efficiently, using our two household waste and recycling centres which are both open 35 hours per week.

The 100 day pledge started from Tuesday 20 June, and within the first week of the zero-tolerance approach, 90 incidents were cleared, rubbish which filled the equivalent of 85 skips. The second week saw 111 incidents cleared and enough rubbish generated to fill 155 skips.

Households and businesses are being reminded that they have a legal responsibility to make sure that the person taking their waste has a ‘Waste Carriage Licence’. This must be up to date and checked on the Environment Agency website.

Residents are also being reminded to only use a reputable and fully licenced business when sourcing someone to remove waste. Householders will be liable if evidence of the illegally dumped rubbish can be traced back to them, and they will face a fixed penalty notice or prosecution. Failure to use an authorised service is a criminal offence.

There are many private-rental landlords across the city who have multiple properties, that have become a dumping ground. Action is being taken against absent and neglectful private-rental landlords.

Landlords are reminded they are accountable for waste from their vacant properties, and the appropriate methods should be used to clear rubbish.

In Burslem a property was recently cleared as part of the 100 day pledge, after the owner left a considerable amount of illegally dumped waste outside their property – The landlord has been issued with a £400 fixed penalty notice.