RESIDENTS in Hart are being warned by the council to dispose of their waste legally as the authority declares that it is prepared to take legal action against fly-tippers.

Hart District Council has powers to issue fixed penalty fines of up to £400 for commercial and domestic waste found to be fly-tipped, and if taken to court those responsible can face unlimited fines or up to five years in prison.

"Last December one of our residents was ordered to pay fines and costs of over £600 and given a criminal record," a council spokesperson said.

"Residents are asked to dispose of their waste responsibly by using our regular waste and recycling services. Ensure that you are up to date with changes to bin collections over the holiday season which are published on the Council website."

You could also be penalised if you employ someone to dispose of your waste who is then caught fly-tipping, so the council are recommending that you always use a licensed waste carrier - which you can check at hart.gov.uk/fly-tipping.

Cllr Alan Oliver, cabinet member for environment at HDC, said: "Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and one that is often a particular problem after Christmas. Over 1000 incidents of fly-tipping have had to be dealt with this year.

"The impact on our environment is far-reaching and cleaning up is both costly and time-consuming.

"We would ask all residents to behave responsibly at this time and support our keyworkers who are already very stretched."

If you see fly-tipping taking place, you can report this to the council by calling 01252 622122 and giving details of the incident including the location, vehicle registration and description of person(s).

If you come across dumped waste, you can report it online at hart.fixmystreet.com.