Scots make 285,000 fly-tipping reports in four years - with just 51 cases prosecuted
dailyrecord.co.ukScots have reported a staggering 285,000 cases of fly-tipping since 2019 - but just 51 have been prosecuted - new stats show.
The figures from the Scottish Lib Dems show 284,762 fly-tipping incidents were reported between 2019/20 and 2022/23. But of these, just 51 were referred to the Procurator Fiscal and only 3317 fixed penalty notices were issued.Glasgow City Council reported the highest number of incidents with 88,357 across all four years but issued just 335 notices.And only seven local authorities have passed cases to prosecutors - with just two, East Dunbartonshire and North Lanarkshire, obtaining a conviction.It comes as beefed-up new fly-tipping rules came into effect this week permitting on-the-spot fines of up to £500 - more than double the previous £200.But the Liberal Democrats, who obtained the data via freedom information, said more still needs to be done.Communities spokesman Willie Rennie is calling for new rules ordering offenders to contribute to the clean-up - with the cash put towards a new national fund to help farmers.Rennie said: "Fly-tippers are increasingly brazen.
From back lanes to main roads, most communities across Scotland are blighted by other people's rubbish."It's ugly, dirty and smelly, yet only a tiny fraction of cases ever result in a fine or a trip to court."I am relieved that, after years of pressure from my party, the government has finally increased the level of fines available."However, there is still a fundamental unfairness in the system which leaves farmers and other owners with the responsibility for clearing up waste dumped on their properties."More needs to be done to clamp down on this disgusting behaviour and to ensure that repeat offenders feel the full force of the
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