Last month I noted the most recent official data that in 2016/17 there were 14,870 incidents of fly-tipping recorded in our borough.

Now we have some more recent figures that confirm the situation has got even worse – while the number being prosecuted by the Council is tiny.

A Freedom of Information request which has just been published asked about calendar rather than financial years. For last year we learn that 17,873 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Hammersmith and Fulham. The number of prosecutions undertaken by the Council was just seven.

Here is the trend:

“The number of fly-tipping incidents which were reported to your local council in each of the last five years.

Number of fly tipping incidents in 2014 = 8,188

Number of fly tipping incidents in 2015 = 10,649

Number of fly tipping incidents in 2016 = 13,470

Number of fly tipping incidents in 2017 = 17,873

The number of fly-tipping prosecutions made in your authority in each of the last five years

Number of fly tipping prosecutions in 2013 = 4

Number of fly tipping prosecutions in 2014 = 8

Number of fly tipping prosecutions in 2015 = 19

Number of fly tipping prosecutions in 2016 = 6

Number of fly tipping prosecutions in 2017 = 7″

In terms of enforcement it is even worse than those figures suggest as the use of Fixed Penalty Notices has been abandoned.

It’s no wonder that people feel they can get away with it. The shocking reality is that they can. That needs to change.