\n Just six prosecutions were secured by Darlington Borough Council between April and September 2025, despite 1,502 reports.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n The local authority recorded 11 fixed penalty offences but officers have been urged to improve enforcement.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n Councillor Pauline Culley, Conservative member for Mowden, said: \u201cI know we are having trouble getting this through the courts but that\u2019s just bad, isn\u2019t it? What are we doing about that?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Darlington Councillor Pauline Culley, Conservative member in Mowden. (Image: Darlington Borough Council)\n<\/p>\n
\n A communities and local services scrutiny committee was told the total number of fly tips reported between the same time period fell by 32% from 2,206 to 1,502 when compared to the same period last year.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n The council said specific hotspot areas are being targeted on an evidence based-led approach to monitor and patrol them, with the aim of either identifying offenders or deterring fly-tipping.\n<\/p>\n
\n New methods and an educational approach have also been adopted to try and minimise fly-tipping issues in back lanes.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n Ben Grabham, assistant director of environment services and community safety, responded: \u201cA fly tip can be anything from a single bag and up from that, so it depends on the size of the fly-tip and whether any materials are left that indicate who the perpetrator may be. It is important that when residents are disposing of waste, they ask for a waste carriers licence.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe are looking at promoting fly tips and working with Keep Britain Tidy to target new initiatives across the country to raise the profile even more.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Asked whether more surveillance cameras could be used, the council said it is looking to deploy more trail cameras in new locations later this year.\n<\/p>\n