CAMERAS have been installed at a fly-tipping hotspot as part of a crackdown on persistent offenders.

The cameras, along with warning signs featuring reflective eyes to make it look like a person is being watched, have been put in place at Wilton Lane, the road connecting Wilton with Guisborough in east Cleveland.

Offenders have been warned they could face unlimited fines and up to five years in prison if they are caught.

Redcar Borough Council has been working with local land owners to try and tackle the problem of fly-tipping, which as well as being unsightly, can pose a danger to lifestock and wildlife.

Councillor Alec Brown, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “We are doing everything we can to encourage residents across the borough to love where they live and do their bit to help the environment.

“To see some people continue to fly-tip rubbish wherever they like undoes all that hard work and is a slap in the face to residents.

“I am pleased we could work with the Tees Valley Rural Forum and Cleveland Police, especially PCSO Paul Payne, to install these new signs and cameras, to show that we mean business when we say we’ll crackdown on fly-tipping.”

PSCO Payne said: “The road from Wilton to Guisborough is in a stunning area and fly-tipping causes a great deal of concern for the local community and is a blight on the landscape.

“The signage and cameras will help the local authority clampdown on the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”