There's really no excuse for dumping rubbish, especially as Harlow Council collects most bulky rubbish for free. The Lib Dem influenced council issued 74 fixed penalties in the second half of last year - and four notices already this year. The maximum penalty for fly tipping is a fine of up to £50,000 and up to a year in prison. Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Cllr Eleanor Macy says:

"It costs nothing to dispose of rubbish using the facilities available locally, yet these individuals choose to ditch their junk in residential areas with no thought for the environment or the local community.

We won't tolerate this kind of anti-social behaviour on our streets and in our communities and the message to any would-be fly tippers is don't - with all the means at our disposal these days, you will be caught and prosecuted.

Cleaning up the town costs local council tax payers thousands of pounds each year and we will continue to track down and fine environmental offenders."

If you have bulky rubbish to dispose of, call Contact Harlow on 01279 446655 and make a booking. It's free.