Fly-tippers are in the crosshairs after the Wiltshire Council clamped-down on offences with fines totalling nearly £3000.

Residents from Swindon, Royal Wootton Bassett and Bath were fined a total of £2,800 in fixed penalty notices (FPN) for fly-tipping offences.

The Bath resident was issued with a £600 FPN after their waste was found fly-tipped in Longleat Forest, near Warminster.

The Swindon resident was issued a £1,000 FPN after admitting to depositing waste on Breach Lane, Royal Wootton Bassett. His vehicle was captured tipping waste by the council as part of its proactive work to catch fly-tipping offenders.

Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene and Flooding, said: “We are committed to tackling environmental crime and we have a range of methods to catch fly-tippers in the act, including using covert and overt cameras.

“Incidents like this serve as a timely reminder to anyone who is considering using a waste clearance service – always check they have a valid upper-tier waste carrier licence, note their vehicle registration and details, and get a receipt.

"If you fail to do this and they dump the waste, you could be investigated and ultimately fined."

He continued: “Our Stop at Source (SAS) campaign focuses on this very topic and reminds everyone to avoid rogue traders or those who may advertise cheap waste removal on social media, only for it to be fly-tipped in the Wiltshire countryside.

“Our message is clear, we’re targeting fly-tippers in Wiltshire and we will take action against anyone who dumps waste in our beautiful county.”

The Swindon Road litter (Image: Wiltshire Council) A couple from Royal Wootton Bassett were both issued with £600 FPNs after using an unlicenced waste carrier to remove waste from their property on two separate occasions.

The waste was found fly-tipped in a layby off Swindon Road in the town and the couple could not provide any information that could have traced the people responsible for fly-tipping the waste.

They both failed in their duty of care by not obtaining vital information on who took their waste, such as: a receipt; a waste carriers licence number; and a description of their vehicle, as is required when they hand their waste to someone.