COUNCIL officers in Hartlepool have welcomed new powers that are making it easier for them to track down suspected fly-tippers.

They are now able to use a computer link with the DVLA in Swansea to identify quickly the registered keepers of vehicles thought to have been involved in dumping rubbish.

Staff have previously only been allowed to use the system as part of a drive to remove abandoned vehicles from the town's streets.

Craig Thelwell, environmental action manager at Hartlepool Borough Council, said: "It is important we are quick off the mark when investigating cases of fly-tipping, and we are delighted we have been given the go-ahead to use the computerised inquiry system in this way.

"People tempted to fly-tip rubbish should be aware we can now be on their case much more quickly.

"In the past, we have had to write to the DVLA with details of a suspect vehicle and await a reply. That delay meant it was often much more difficult to prove the owner of a particular vehicle had actually been involved in fly-tipping."

People convicted of breaching the Environmental Protection Act 1990 could face fines of up to £20,000 and/or six months in prison.

The council's environmental action team is also able to use the computer link to trace the registered keepers of vehicles when investigating other matters, including littering from vehicles, dog fouling and fly-posting.