THOUSANDS of pounds in fines have been issued just hours after CCTV cameras were installed to catch fly-tippers in the act.

The cameras installed by Brighton and Hove City Council have already caught six people red-handed, just 24 hours after they were switched on.

Fines totalling more than £2000 have been issued to the members of the public dumping their unwanted rubbish at the hotspot sites.

The cameras, which were launched by the council yesterday to crack down on offenders, are mobile and will be moved around the city as a deterrent.

Since lockdown, enforcement officers have issued 116 fines for flytipping, totalling more than £46,000. Each fine is £400.

Councillor Amy Heley, chair of the council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee, said: “Flytipping affects everyone in the city. It costs the council taxpayers money, it damages the look of the city and harms the environment.

“We hope these cameras act as a deterrent, but if flytippers are caught, the cameras will enable the council to prosecute the offenders, which will help us tackle this ongoing problem.

"There are many lawful ways to dispose of unwanted items including taking them to one of the city’s two household waste recycling sites or giving them away free on social media platforms like Gumtree, Freegle or Facebook Marketplace.”

Anyone caught flytipping can receive a minimum fine of £400. However, as it’s a criminal offence, fly-tippers can receive an unlimited fine or face court action.

The CCTV system also features Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and when footage of a vehicle is captured, the number plate will be matched with data sources from Sussex Police to identify the vehicle keeper and help with prosecution.