A fly tip was staged in the centre of St Albans on Monday to raise awareness about a new county wide campaign to tackle rubbish being dumped.

The S.C.R.A.P fly tipping campaign has been launched by The Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group, which has joined forces with a number of councils across the county including St Albans.

The campaign is asking people to help prevent fly tipping by taking steps to ensure that their waste is disposed of correctly.

Daniel Chichester-Miles, who is responsible for Environment for the council, said: “We are asking people arranging one-off collections of waste to follow this checklist to prevent their waste being fly tipped and causing an ugly blot on the landscape.

“Fly tips, however, are not just limited to piles of rubble, old baths, kitchen cupboards, fridges and items of household waste dumped at the roadside. Fly tips also extend to household waste left next to a litter bin or outside a charity shop.

“Everyone has a legal duty of care to dispose of their waste responsibly. If people fail to take steps to ensure their waste is disposed of legitimately, and it’s later found in a fly tip, they could end up being prosecuted or fined.”

The campaign will also be reminding people in Hertfordshire that if they see fly tipping in progress they should call 999 immediately, as well as report the incident at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/flytipping.

People should make a note of the vehicle registration number and take photos if possible, but do not approach the fly-tippers.