A REPORT on fly-tipping in Wiltshire has called the process of prosecuting perpetrators unnecessarily complex.

The county council’s environmental select committee discussed a report from the Waste Contracts Task Group at a meeting held yesterday.

The report said the level of fly-tipping in Wiltshire overall has decreased over the last 12 months but added: “The prosecution process was also shown to be a resource-intensive and lengthy process, whereby a significant amount of evidence was required to secure a conviction.

It added:”However in certain instances, covert surveillance was a helpful mechanism in catching repeat offenders.

“All in all, gathering the necessary evidence was often a stumbling block in issuing penalties to those suspected of fly-tipping.”

Fly-tipping can result in an on-the-spot fine of up to £50,000 or potentially five years in prison.

The director for waste and environment Tracy Carter said the process needed to be robust, because the end result could mean someone receiving a criminal record.