FLY-TIPPING cost Swale taxpayers more than £186,000 in clearance, disposal and enforcement.

And while there were only 12 prosecutions, according to new figures, Swale Council said the war against fly-tippers was being won.

The Countryside Alliance undertook a study of the scale of the problem across the UK.

It found Swale recorded 1,878 instances of illegally dumped rubbish from April 2010 to March 2011. The total collected in fines was £3,057, which is paid direct to The Treasury.

By comparison, neighbouring Maidstone Council dealt with 902 instances at a cost of £81,480.

Swale said fly-tipping hotspots were mainly urban areas such as Marine Town on Sheppey, where rubbish was regularly found in alleyways.

It said it had worked hard on an education programme with residents to reduce the problem.

A Swale spokesman said: "We are undertaking a lot of work to combat fly-tipping.

"We have worked with partners such as Clean Kent to get important messages out to residents and businesses alike to ensure that they understand they have a duty of care for any waste that they produce.

"Waste needs to be passed to an authorised waste carrier, and disposed of appropriately. We hear all too often when we interview people that they don't know who took the waste away.

"A person saw it on the drive and said they will take it away for £20.

"Invariably the waste ends up fly-tipped.

"If an individual does not check that the waste carrier is authorised to carry the waste, they are committing an offence themselves."

The Countryside Alliance, which campaigns to protect rural areas, said illegal dumping was a problem across the UK.

Chief executive Alice Barnard said: "Fly-tipping is ruining the beautiful views for which Britain is rightly famous, endangering wildlife and costing the taxpayer millions to clear up.

"With more cuts coming to council budgets, this problem is only going to get worse.

"We need a coordinated plan which ensures people who fly-tip are caught and punished and provides greater support to local authorities and landowners who bear the brunt of clearing up the mess."

Swale said it was winning the battle against fly-tippers, with the level of illegal dumping reducing annually for the last three years.

The spokesman concluded: "The statistics from the Countryside Alliance show that Swale Council's environment officers and street wardens take this issue very seriously, and we actively encourage residents to report fly-tipping.

"This has proved successful as we have undertaken more prosecutions and enforcement action than any other district authority in Kent."

To report fly-tipping, contact Swale Council on 01795 417850.