Walsall Council plans to install street skips to tackle fly-tipping Published duration 30 August 2018

image caption Fly-tipping cost Walsall Council £426,000 to clear up last year

Skips could be placed on streets in a bid to tackle repeated fly-tipping, a council has announced.

Last year, there were more than 4,000 reports of illegally discarded waste across Walsall, with 2,000 tonnes of rubbish removed from the borough.

Clearing up fly-tipping cost the council more than £400,000 last year, bosses said.

Residents told the BBC they were in favour of the move after branding the blight of fly-tipping "disgusting" and an "absolute disgrace".

The council has also proposed increasing a cash reward for people whose information leads to successful fly-tipping prosecutions from £100 to £500.

Other trials mooted include extending opening hours at council tips and introducing a free collection service for bulky household items.

image caption The council said dumped fridges and freezers were a 'real problem'

Councillor Louise Harrison said: "We're planning to trial a number of initiatives to make it easier for our residents to legally dispose of their waste.

"But if they don't, our stance is one of zero tolerance."

She added: "Having given residents the opportunity to do the right thing, we hope to see a reduction both in the number of fly-tipping incidents and also in the costs of collecting and disposing of the waste."

The plans will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on 5 September.