FLY-TIPPERS should face tougher financial penalties to deter repeat offenders from dumping waste.

The maximum £200 fixed penalty fine is thought to be too little, particularly for “rogue firms” who are illegally disposing of materials.

The Glasgow Times has highlighted hotspots for fly-tipping with residents left frustrated and angry at streets and land being used as dumping grounds.

READ HERE: How a resident said one site has been blighted for 20 years

Now Ruairi Kelly, the councillor in charge of neighbourhood services, has called on the Scottish Government to increase the maximum for fixed penalty notices.

He said some businesses who are dumping waste are simply absorbing the £200 fine as a cost.

This week the Glasgow Times reported on waste being repeatedly dumped on land at Cowlairs Road, in Springburn, for years.

Recently we highlighted residents’ anger at a disused railway line that has turned into an eyesore fly-tipping site in Parkhouse in the north of the city.

READ HERE: Glasgow man demands action on fly-tipping 'catastrophe'

Councillor Kelly has written to justice secretary Angela Constance asking for greater enforcement powers.

Glasgow Times:

He said: “Fines and sentencing for fly-tipping need to be an adequate deterrent to what has become an endemic problem across much of the city of Glasgow along with the rest of the country. But right now, they’re not.

“I’m asking the Scottish Government to look again at the levels of fines issued for fly-tipping. They haven’t been revisited since 2014 and a significant increase in both council fines and court sanctions should be considered.

"I know our hard-working staff who are on the frontline dealing with what is criminal behaviour want to see tougher action and enforcement on this matter. As do citizens I speak with who are often impacted directly by this disgusting behaviour. But we need tougher sanctions to properly tackle this scourge.

“If we are to address both the criminal element of this problem and affect behavioural change then we must be able to demonstrate consequences for those actions.”

Courts can impose higher penalties if someone is convicted of fly-tipping but a recent case has also been considered to be too lenient.

Stuart Allison and one of his workers were each fined £750 for the illegal dumping of waste across the city. 

The worker admitted he had ‘dumped waste in nearly every street with a dead end in Glasgow’.

Councillor Kelly added: “In my opinion, this does not in any way act as a deterrent for those who would carry out illegal dumping and could easily be factored in as a ‘cost of doing business’.

"It also makes a mockery of the time and effort put in by both Glasgow City Council staff and Police Scotland to investigate this and gather enough evidence to secure a conviction, not to mention being a slap in the face to the communities who must live with the consequences of this criminal behaviour.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government, said:“The Scottish Government is determined to tackle the serious environmental and economic impacts that flytipping causes.

"We have already announced plans to more than double fines and are also looking at the possibility of extending the use of civil penalties to enforce offences.

"We will soon be publishing a new National Litter & Flytipping Strategy, which will set how we will tackle these issues.

“We would encourage relevant public authorities to investigate flytipping on public and private land and to offer assistance to private landowners where they can.”