CONCERNS have been raised that fly-tipping is on the increase in a town.

Councillor Jack Park is worried that Millom is seeing more incidents of people dumping items.

The Millom town councillor highlighted areas that have been blighted by waste, including the back of the Drill Hall in Horn Hill and at the Knot.

Cllr Park said he found dumped bottles and waste behind the Drill Hall and at the Knot there is old wall paper and other decorating materials strewn on the floor.

The concerned councillor has been on to Copeland Borough Council about the problem.

He said: "I'm concerned about this fly-tipping in the town. It seems to be on the increase in Millom.

"I can't understand it, it's absolutely inexcusable to dump things like this.

"It's always worse while we have the dark nights and people think they can't be seen.

"On-the-spot fines should be issued to people who fly-tip.

"I've reported this fly-tipping to Copeland Borough Council."

In the past Cllr Park has spoken out about fly-tipping at the RSPB Hodbarrow Nature Reserve.

Janice Carrol, Copeland Borough Council's head of waste and enforcement, said: “We have a beautiful borough and it is a shame some irresponsible people choose to spoil it in this way. We take fly-tipping extremely seriously and do not hesitate to impose fixed penalty fines or prosecute where necessary and possible.”

Figures show that Copeland Borough Council is an authority that has used the new fly-tipping penalty powers which were introduced last year.

In May, the government gave town halls the power to issue fines of between £150 and £400 to those caught in the act of fly-tipping, instead of having to take them to court, as part of efforts to crack down on waste crime.

Copeland Borough Council did hand out two on-the-spot penalties for fly-tipping under the new legislation in 2016, while Barrow Borough Council and South Lakeland District Council had not issued any on-the-spot fly-tipping fines last year.