CHARGES for recycling at Dorset's tips have not led to increased fly-tipping, according to the county's waste collection service.

The Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) is undertaking an anti-fly-tipping campaign - 'Tip-Off' - and says one of the most frequent comments it has heard from residents is charges at household recycling centres (HRCs) have been directly responsible for the illegal dumping of waste.

But the DWP says there is no statistical evidence for this claim.

DWP enforcement officer Jeremy Gallagher explained that his team found the majority of fly-tipped waste was household recyclable waste, which can be disposed of free of charge at HRCs.

"Those dumped items that are charged for generally appear to have been fly-tipped by rogue traders or illegal waste carriers, such as an unlicensed ‘man in a van,'" Mr Gallagher said.

He added tips had always been for the disposal of typical household waste and that disposal of commercial waste had always carried a charge.

"If a tradesman produces or carries waste as part of their everyday activities, that person has always needed to budget its disposal into their business costs,” he said.

According to the DWP, fly-tipping was on the rise before the charges were introduced back in September 2016 and, while the trend has continued, there has been no related spike in incidents since.

“By blaming fly-tipping solely on the council for introducing HRC charges, the problem is being oversimplified and anti-social criminal behaviour is being excused and normalised," he said.