FLY-TIPPED waste is discovered in Southampton 32 times a day on average, figures show.

A total of 11,824 fly-tipping incidents were reported to Southampton City Council in 2019-20 according to data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 424 more than the year before.

Waste was found on roads and pavements 5,744 times and 3,236 discoveries were made on footpaths and bridleways.

Small van loads of waste were dumped on 894 occasions and a further 129 incidents saw enough rubbish discarded to fill a tipper lorry, costing the council £45,150 to clear.

David Renard, environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: “Fly-tipping is inexcusable.

“It is not only an eyesore for residents, but a serious public health risk, creating pollution and attracting rats and other vermin.”

Environmental Charity, Keep Britain Tidy, now says the crime is being driven by “conmen” who offer to remove rubbish for a fee but do not dispose of it correctly.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of the charity, said:“This must stop. We believe the only way to prevent further law-breaking is to fundamentally reform the system.”

A Southampton City Council spokesperson claimed that the “small minority” that fly-tip are causing “frustration and anger” as most people dispose of rubbish responsibly.

“There is a cost attached to clearing up fly tips; which is paid for by everyone in the city, not just the council. Fly tipping has a negative effect on any area where it occurs.

“Nationally, fly tipping incidents are on the increase, and the trend in Southampton is in line with other comparable Local Authorities.”

In 2020, the council employed two Environmental Protection Officers to investigate fly tipping incidents as well as introducing a littering enforcement service.

Between July and October 2020 it issued more than 2,100 fixed penalty notices for littering and the council claims it is “determined to secure convictions against the small number of individuals that repeatedly fly tip”.