North Tyneside Council officers join local authorities across the region to receive training from the agency's environmental crime officers.

Their aim is to ensure that tough procedures are used across the whole region to catch and prosecute fly-tippers.

The Environment Agency's 'Swat' enforcement team of ex-police and military staff will carry out tailor-made training over four days.

The environmental crime officers will share best practice on a range of enforcement techniques including surveillance, crime scene investigations, evidence gathering and waste legislation.

Project manager Kate Halka said: "Our ability to detect environmental crime is improving all the time.

"In recent months we have introduced forensic capabilities that will enable us to make a greater number of prosecutions against fly-tippers.

"We already work closely with many of the councils across the north east to share intelligence, work on undercover operations and manage clean-up projects within communities.

"This regional training will strengthen our joint enforcement capabilities that will help to tackle this mindless crime."

Earlier this month, staff from the Environment Agency took part in an annual training conference for magistrates in Newcastle to promote a better understanding of the impact of fly-tipping as a criminal activity.

Fines of up to £50,000 and/or up to 12 months' imprisonment can be given to offenders, and in the most serious cases convictions can lead to a prison term of up to five years, or a fine, or both.

Householders who do not ensure that someone they employ to take away waste, have a waste carriers' licence also risk a £5,000 fine.

For information about licensed waste carriers, call the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506 or visit
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fly-tipping

Anyone with information about fly-tipping incidents can contact their local council or the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.

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