A MAJOR new crackdown has been launched to tackle he problem of fly-tipping in rural areas of North Yorkshire.

Police have joined forces with landowners and the local authorities to set up a new task force codenamed Operation Eyeball.

It will allow the sharing of intelligence and information to tackle the crime - and a key element will be planned and targeted enforcement action days. Fly-tipping hotspot and suspect vehicles will be under scrutiny.

Superintendent Paula Booth said: "Fly-tipping is a selfish crime that blights local environments and spoils people’s enjoyment of our towns and countryside.

"It is a source of pollution, a potential danger to public health and a hazard to wildlife. It also undermines legitimate waste businesses who operate within the law."

“By working together, we can tackle this issue. We also need help from the public – if you find or witness fly-tipping, wherever it is, record as many details about the incident and the waste as you can, and report it to your local authority or via the gov.uk website. This will help the authorities take action against those responsible and stop them fly-tipping in the future.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan added: “Operation Eyeball is a wide ranging operation with a clear aim – to reduce fly tipping in North Yorkshire through an innovative approach.

"By bringing together organisations who are on the front line of the problem and have to deal with its consequences, we are taking an important first step to tackle it."

The Hambleton district's portfolio holder for waste services, Cllr Stephen Watson, said: “Fly tipping is becoming an increasing problem in Hambleton – with cross border dumping a big issue.

"We hope this new joint operation will help tackle this issue and give offenders a warning that it will not be tolerated – we have the eyes of the county on them.”

And Richmondshire's Cllr Tony Duff added: “Much of the fly tipping we have in Richmondshire goes unreported as landowners deal with it themselves, especially in the rural areas.

"We hope this campaign will change that so we can identify the scale of the problem we have.

"he public are our eyes and ears and the more they can report issues to us the more we can do to tackle it."

The chair of the Ryedale district's policy and resources committee, Cllr Luke Ives said: “This proactive approach crosses the borders between the different authorities involved in clearing fly tipping – much like the criminals who carry out this crime.

"Working together like this means we have a joined up approach to responding to this problem.”