MORE than 4,000 incidents of fly-tipping have been recorded by Renfrewshire Council over the past two years...but just six were referred to prosecutors, new figures reveal.

The data, released following Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, also shows that 95 fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping in the area have been issued since September 2019.

Renfrewshire Council has said the nature of the crime makes it difficult to gather evidence to pass to the Prosecutor Fiscal.

A spokesperson told The Gazette: “There is no excuse for fly-tipping. It is illegal, unsightly, damaging to our environment and comes at a cost to the taxpayer.

“Our staff and partners investigate the source of fly-tipping and trace those responsible. However, unless someone is caught in the act or leaves identifying material, it can often be difficult to gather the evidence needed for a successful prosecution.

“Also, in some cases, an individual identified as responsible for fly-tipping may pay the fixed penalty notice, which discharges their liability to conviction. That means the case is dealt with and will not be referred for a prosecution in court.

“We encourage residents to report all instances of fly-tipping to us, along with any evidence they have as to who carried it out, and we will do all we can to ensure those responsible are held to account.”

Across Scotland, more than 134,000 fly-tipping incidents were recorded by councils in two years but only 34 were reported to prosecutors.

Willie Rennie, communities spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said a lack of action against fly-tippers has effectively led to “legalised littering.”

However, the Scottish Government said it proposed a “bold set of measures” to tackle fly-tipping last month.

A spokesperson added: “These include more than doubling the fines for fly-tipping and developing best practice guidance to support authorities with powers to issue fines.

“We are also looking at the possibility of using civil penalties to enforce offences.

“These actions will send a strong message that this behaviour will not be tolerated and help make our streets, countryside and public spaces free of illegal dumping.”