FLY-TIPPERS prosecuted in court have been handed an average fine of just £335, according to the Local Government Association.

The association, which represents more than 350 councils across England Wales, says tougher sentences are needed in order to deter fly tipping.

The call to action comes after a Weymouth man was sentenced for illegally dumping stones and gravel on a verge at the side of a road in Dorchester.

Richard Dunn, 42, was originally issued a fixed penalty notice for £400 for fly tipping on the side of the road.

After no payment was received, Dorset Council’s Waste Enforcement and Legal Team was left with little option but to prosecute Dunn.

The court ended up handing him a fine of £150 - whilst associated costs took the total fees up to £479.

Analysis of latest figures by the LGA shows that average fines issued by courts following criminal proceedings averaged at £65 less than the £400 fixed penalty notice councils can issue as a civil action.

Fly-tipping is estimated to cost local authorities in excess of £50 million a year to clear up.

For the 2020/21 year, local authorities in England dealt with 1.13 million fly-tipping incidents: an increase of 16 per cent from the 980,000 reported in 2019/20.

A spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: “Councils take fly-tipping extremely seriously and are taking increasing enforcement action against the criminals responsible.

“However, prosecuting fly-tippers often requires time-consuming and laborious investigations, with a high threshold of proof.

“In addition to the low fines, councils are often left out of pocket from court action as their costs are not fully repaid.

“The LGA is calling on the Government to work with councils on reviewing guidance to the courts to ensure the worst offenders face tougher fines, and to ensure councils have the funding needed to investigate and prosecute fly-tippers.

“Councils want courts to look at fly-tipping as an offence first, rather than at the individual and their ability to pay, as well as more use of suspended sentences, or custodial sentences for anyone convicted of a second fly-tipping offence.”

Dorset Council was approached for comment.