FLY-TIPPING in Tendring has increased by almost 15 per cent in the past year.

County Hall bosses claim fly-tipping costs the county more than £1million a year.

Figures show there were 1,132 incidents in the district in 2016-17, compared to 991 incidents in 2015-16.

In response to the county-wide increase, Love Essex – a partnership of councils, businesses and environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy – is launching its #CrimeNotToCare campaign to remind residents they could unwittingly end up with a criminal record and face unlimited fines if a rogue trader dumps their waste illegally.

County Hall waste boss Simon Walsh said: “There were 17,547 separate incidents of fly-tipping countywide last year, costing taxpayers’ £1,093,907 to clear up – money that could have been better spent on vital services.

“Almost 50 per cent of people don’t know they’re responsible by law if their rubbish is fly-tipped by a third party.

“We hope #CrimeNotToCare will educate people on how to dispose of their waste correctly to ensure they don’t end up with a criminal record and a hefty fine.”

The number of prosecutions of residents where fly-tipped waste has been traced back to them is also on the rise.

One man was fined £461 with £758 costs after admitting he failed to dispose of his household waste legally.