Council chiefs are to set to publish pictures of fly-tippers who are blighting the borough's streets.

The move will help to identify, prosecute and fine those involved while acting as a deterrent by publicly shaming the culprits.

Proposals to use CCTV images will be considered by Councillors on the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee at a meeting next week.

A document describing the scheme states: "The Inspection and Enforcement team aim to review the use of CCTV at the Public Recycling Sites (PRS) and to recommend the introduction of a 'Caught-on Camera' campaign as a way of raising awareness by challenging and penalising fly tippers.

"This will involve publishing images captured on CCTV of incidents of fly tipping and appealing to the general public to come forward if they recognise any of the perpetrators."

Credit: Chris Self.

The name and shame scheme will initially concentrate on those guilty of abusing the Public Recycling Sites across the borough, where there are supersize bins to take paper and other waste.

Very often, fly-tippers will dump waste, everything from large sofas to cookers, mattresses, tables and chairs, causing a real eyesore.

The borough has 60 public recycling sites and the cameras will be deployed at nine of them at any one time. The locations will be chosen based on complaints from residents.

The first 9 sites to be targeted are:

* Ham Parade (Ham and Petersham)

* Holly Road Car Park (Twickenham)

* Cedar Road (Teddington)

* Twickenham Green, First Cross Road (Twickenham)

* Queen Elizabeth Walk (Barnes)

* Richmond Road (near Sainsburys)

*Kneller Road (Whitton and Heathfield)

* Popes Avenue (Twickenham)

*Cambrian Centre, Queens Road (Richmond)

The pandemic, lockdowns and the related closure of tips has reversed a four year fall in fly-tipping in Richmond borough.

Data published by the environment department, DEFRA, showed there were some 2,981 incidents in 20-21, which was up by around 100 – 3.2per cent – on the year before.

The figure peaked at 5,253 in 2016-17, before coming down each year to reach a low of 2,887 in 2019-20 and then bouncing back up last year.

Caught-on Camera is a You Tube witness appeal, where CCTV footage of people illegally dumping mattresses, sofas and other rubbish will be

published on Richmond's web site asking local residents to give the Council any information they have about the fly-tippers in the videos.

Officials stressed the recording of people in public places will be undertaken fairly and lawfully. The CCTV cameras will not be hidden and signs that they are operating will be displayed at the perimeter of the area of coverage.

Officers have sought legal advice which confirms that CCTV can be used for this purpose.