TARGETING fly-tipping hotspots with a 'greater use' of CCTV could help stamp out the issue, according to Warrington and Halton Green Party.

The borough-wide problem continues to blight communities and hit the council's stretched budget.

Steph Davies, leader of the Greens, feels that CCTV needs to be explored further by the authority.

She said: "Warrington and Halton Green Party believes that greater enforcement and publicity of this would deter more people from fly-tipping – there needs to be a greater disincentive and if prosecuted cases were more high profile this would help to deter.

"Greater use of CCTV might work if it was targeted at the hotspots for fly-tipping.

"There would obviously be an initial capital outlay for this and the cost of monitoring but, if existing CCTV monitoring facilities were used and the cost of this was less than the cost of clearing up fly-tipping incidents, then this may be a valid option.

"And perhaps consideration could be given to better facilities for disposing of waste and a trial subsidised, or a free scheme for those needing to dispose of larger items and who genuinely cannot pay."

But Cllr Tony Higgins, executive board member for leisure and community, believes CCTV would be too costly.

He said: "I know from my own ward of Fairfield and Howley what a major impact fly-tipping has on its community.

"With Government cuts continuing to put big pressures on our budget we now need to do more with less, so it's really disappointing that some residents feel it's quite ok to dump their rubbish on our streets and for the council taxpayers to keep footing the bill for their selfish acts.

"CCTV is costly and when it comes to making financial choices between some priority services, such as adult social care or even paying for our libraries, then unfortunately CCTV isn't going to be an option, especially in light of a further £15 million this council will need to find in this financial year.

"I urge residents to be vigilant against fly-tippers – they have our support and if we work together as a community we will stop them."