EVERY week, dozens of people ignore the risk of hefty fines when they illegally dump rubbish on south Essex’s verges, roads and open spaces.

Earlier this month, Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris told fellow MPs she thought Londoners were driving out to the area to dump their rubbish.

Although councils recognise the problem and act when they can, prosecution rates for flytipping remain remarkably low.

In Southend, for example, over the past four years, just 6 per cent of incidents have led to prosecutions.

The number of incidents has decreased year on year, from 431 in 2010/11 to 254 in 2013/14.

However, Southend Council brought just 11 prosecutions in 2010/11, 32 in 2011/12, and 21 and 18 in the most recent two years.

Martin Terry, councillor responsible for waste disposal, said: “Our incidents of flytipping have decreased slightly.

“We can only take enforcement action where we can gain evidence to support it. For instance, a dumped mattress can be recorded as a flytip, but we would need evidence – such as someone being seen putting it there – before we could proceed against the culprit.

“However, we can also take a range of other actions, such as giving warnings, advice and guidance.

“If these measures improve the situation, we may then take no further action unless there is evidence of re-offending.

“Southend, generally, does not suffer from the flytipping of large lorryloads of rubbish, which may have been experienced in other areas.”

In Basildon, flytipping hit an all-time high of 11,734 reported incidents in 2004/05, reduced to 2,015 in 2011/12, then more than doubled again over the two following years.

Basildon Council now deals with an average of 110 reports of flytipping a week. Incidents reported to the council through the FixMyStreet website this month include rubbish left in a cemetery layby in Bowers Gifford and kitchen units dumped in a residential street in Laindon.

A report published by the council in October looked at why there had been a recent surge in flytipping.

Officials suggested tighter restrictions at Essex County Council-operated dumps could be partly to blame.

Special collection charges were introduced in Basildon in 2011, but the fees are still less than those charged by some neighbouring councils.

Terri Sargent, Basildon councillor responsible for the environment, said: “Flytipping is an issue affecting authorities across the country and Basildon is no exception. We would encourage residents to use our special collection service, which is only £10 for five items, rather than flytipping, which is a criminal offence and one we will prosecute wherever we have the evidence.”

Over the past two years, Rochford Council has recorded an average of 32 incidents a month.

A council spokesman said: “We have been involved in campaigns to reduce litter and flytipping, and work closelywith Keep Britain Tidy. We also visit commercial premises to ensure they have appropriate arrangements for collection of their waste.”

Braintree and Witham Times:

Coniston Road, Thundersley

A COUNTRY lane, popular as a shortcut for locals, Coniston Road was rendered almost impassable earlier this month when flytippers dumped huge piles of rubbish, furniture and household items in the road.

A sofa, a bed, kitchen cabinets, a washing machine, fridges and an entire bathroom suite were dumped, virtually blocking the unmade road. Verges were littered with bags of garden waste and sacks of builders’ debris, sand and gravel.

There was so much rubbish in the road, specialist contractors had to be brought in.

North Street, Southend

THE derelict site of a former laundry in Southend became a magnet for flytipping.

Waste was regularly dumped on land between North Road and Salisbury Avenue.

Last July, Southend Council approved plans for 27 homes on the site.

Ian Gilbert, deputy leader of the council and Labour councillor for Victoria ward, pictured, said: “It’s derelict land that has been doing nothing, but causing a nuisance.”

Drainage Dykes on Canvey

FLYTIPPED waste clogged up drains and dykes after a bout of flash flooding on Canvey last summer.

The Environment Agency found piles of rubbish blocking vital channels at Hilton Pumping Station, near Buyl Avenue.

An office chair, food wrappers and bin bags of rubbish had to be dragged out.