FLY-TIPPING incidents in Caerphilly county borough cost the council more than £150,000 to clear last year, a report has revealed.

Nearly 2,000 reports of litter being dumped were made to the council, a reduction of 15 per cent on the previous year's 2,359.

Across Wales, councils received 38,614 reports of fly tipping, costing the tax payer more than £2.18million to clear.

Earlier this year, Caerphilly council agreed to implement fines of up to £400 with no discount for early payment.

South Wales Argus:

And at a meeting on Wednesday, the council could agree to take further steps to recover the costs of cleaning up from perpetrators.

Recovering costs could be taken when "the amount being pursued is above the economical debt recovery threshold," according to a council report.

The report says: "The law of trespass offers a potential civil cause of action in order to pursue the recovery of flytipping clean-up costs.

"Trespass deals with interference with the enjoyment of land, but it is a proprietary claim and so is only an option in circumstances where the council owns the land upon which waste is deposited.

"Cabinet are therefore asked to consider a recommendation that the council takes steps to recover the costs of flytipping against perpetrators of flytipping incidents on council land where the amount being pursued is above the economical debt recovery threshold."

New laws now allow councils in Wales to introduce £400 on-the-spot fines for fly-tipping.

Newport and Blaenau Gwent councils were among those proposing to charge the maximum fines of £400.