Fly-tipping incidents in one part of Somerset have increased by more than 40 per cent compared to when the first national lockdown started.

New statistics released by Mendip District Council show an alarming rise in the number of fly-tipping incidents being recorded since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in early-2020.

There has been an especially sharp rise in the amount of black bin waste being dumped and in large-scale fly-tips where multiple tonnes of waste are deposited in one place.

The council has called on residents to help it bring perpetrators to justice and issued advice about waste disposal for both residents and local companies.

There were a total of 169 recorded incidents of fly-tipping in March 2021.

This includes large-scale "special clearances" in particularly problematic areas such as Gypsy Lane in Frome, where every tonne collected is counted as a separate incident.

In March 2020 there were 119 recorded incidents – marking a rise of 42 per cent since the pandemic began.

The vast majority of the fly-tips were on highways, with only a handful being left on council-owned land.

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The largest single component of fly-tipping is black bins bags filled with household waste, with the number of incidents rising from 19 to 48 – a jump of more than 150 per cent.

Fly-tips involving 'other household waste' also rose from 53 incidents to 60 incidents – a rise of 13 per cent.

The amount of construction waste being dumped has also more than doubled, with 14 incidents being recorded in March 2021 compared to only six incidents in March 2020.

Some types of waste were fly-tipped less than in the previous – such as tyres, garden waste and white goods.

However, the number of special clearances jumped from just three in March 2020 to 25 in March 2021 – a spike of more than 700 per cent.

The council said it was keeping its enforcement policies under regular review and asked the community to help its officer catch fly-tippers.

A spokesman said: "Fly-tipping is an environmental crime and we will take enforcement action wherever possible , as we don't want to just clean-up after the criminals – we want to catch them too.

"Communities have an important role in this, and we would urge them to play their part and help us.

"If residents spot a fly-tipping incident, please report it to us as soon as possible – call our customer service team on 0300 303 8588 or visit www.mendip.gov.uk/streetclean."

The council has also issued advice for residents and businesses seeking to dispose of waste, to ensure they do not get fined for using unauthorised contractors.

The spokesman added: "If you have waste that needs to be disposed of, please choose a registered waste carrier.

"Don't be tempted by 'cash in hand' deals, cold callers or 'white van man' offers. You could be fined up to £5,000 if your rubbish goes on to be fly-tipped without your knowledge.

"Ask to see a copy of the company's waste carrier registration certificate, and ask where your waste is being taken. Ensure you have an official receipt and take note of the registration number of the vehicle taking your waste away, along with the waste carriers licence number.

"You can check whether your waste carrier is registered by calling the Environment Agency on 08708 506506 or visit www.environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers to check instantly online.

"Fly-tippers don't care about the environment or communities – but residents do, and so do we – that's why working together is the smartest way to tackle the tippers."