POLICE have warned Cotswold residents after a fly-tipping offence was spotted near the A40 at Northleach on Monday.

This comes just weeks after it was announced fly-tippers could be slapped with £400 fines by the district council (CDC) if caught in the act.

In line with recent changes to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the new policy came into effect on February 2.

“We’d love to help @CotswoldDC prosecute an offender,” tweeted Cotswold Police alongside the photo.

Referring to the new policy, Cllr Sue Coakley, CDC cabinet member for environment, speaking in January, said: “Until now we were only able to deal with all fly tipping offences by prosecuting offenders.

“However, this new penalty will provide a deterrent and punishment for less serious cases without having to take the matter to court, which can often be a costly and protracted process for all parties involved.

“We will, of course, continue to prosecute more serious or repeated offences.”

In January, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from the Press Association showed that CDC is among a number of councils not to have issued any fixed penalty notices since last May, when the power was first introduced.

In comparison, London boroughs made up the top five placings, with Newham issuing 135 fixed penalty notices.

At the time, a spokesman for CDC said: "We view fly tipping and waste offences as serious crimes and we take action against these illegal activities in every case where we have the evidence to do so.

"Since May 2016, we have issued a number of fixed penalty notices in relation to waste and litter offences and continue to investigate more serious illegal dumping with the help of our residents.”

The spokesman did warn that residents reporting fly-tipping offences should not investigate the incidents themselves as this prevents the council from prosecuting, even where evidence is found that would otherwise have allowed them to.

Fly-tippers can be fined up to £50,000 in the Magistrates’ Courts, face unlimited fines in the Crown Courts, as well as community punishment orders or prison sentences of up to five years.

In 2014/15, the estimated cost of clearance of fly-tipping to local authorities in England was nearly £50 million.