Fly-tippers hit region 10,000 times in year

Fly-tippers struck more than 10,000 times in the Black Country and Staffordshire last year, leaving taxpayers with a bill of more than £2 million.

Councils were forced to pay out the money to clear up the mess and take enforcement action against people illegally dumping rubbish. But only 62 people were prosecuted during 2010/11.

The highest number of fly-tipping cases was in Wolverhampton where there were 3,850 reports followed by the second highest of 2,820 in Sandwell.

The total in Walsall was 1,940 while there were 817 cases in Dudley, 439 in South Staffordshire and 361 in Stafford.