THERE were 13,000 incidents of fly-tipping in East Lancashire last year – the equivalent of 36 every day – shock new figures show.

The clear-up costs are more than £500,000 per year in this area, according to research by campaigners at the Countryside Alliance.

The organisation said the ‘enormous scale’ of fly-tipping is taking a heavy toll on public finances.

Alice Barnard, Countryside Alliance chief executive, said: “Fly-tipping blights our countryside, ruining the beautiful views for which Britain is rightly famous, endangering wildlife and habitats, and costing the taxpayer millions of pounds to clear up.

“The Government promised to end this scourge when they published the Waste Review this summer.

“This is a promising start.

“However, they need to work closer with cash-strapped councils.

“We need a co-ordinated plan which ensures people who fly-tip are caught and punished, and provides greater support to local authorities and landowners who bear the brunt of the cost of clearing up the mess.”

New figures show that between April 2010 and March 2011 there were 3,883 incidents of fly-tipping reported in Blackburn with Darwen.

In Burnley there were 4,249, Hyndburn 1,248, Ribble Valley 43, Rossendale 591, and Pendle 2,865.

Coun Faryad Hussain, of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We want to send out a clear message that fly-tipping will not be tolerated.

“If anyone is found to be fly-tipping, we will investigate and prosecute you.

“There is a good chance you will be caught – so don’t do it. There is no hiding place.”

In Burnley a campaign against fly-tipping has been launched.

Coun Neil Mottershead, the council’s community safety executive member, said: “We know people want us to tackle littering, fly-tipping and dog fouling, because they spoil our neighbourhoods, and that’s exactly what the council is doing.

“We’ve made creating a cleaner, greener and safer borough our priority.

“And the fact that, week after week, we’re at court, prosecuting those that dump their rubbish, or don’t clean up after their dog, shows we’re taking that commitment very seriously,” added Coun Mottershead.