Much of Dorset’s fly-tipping problems are being caused by organised crime – according to the police and crime commissioner, Martyn Underhill.

He says that unscrupulous groups are charging people to take their rubbish and then dumping it illegally across the whole county.

“I naively used to think this was a rural problem…it blights people’s lives and I’m surprised to find how bad it is in the conurbation,” he told the county’s police and crime panel, “A lot of this is organised crime. Lots of money is being made by groups who know they won’t be taking what they collect to official tips.”

He said that his offer to fund a covert camera in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area, to bring prosecutions had not been taken up by the council.

Mr Underhill said he was also funding an investigations officer to work with the Dorset Waste Partnership across both unitary council areas to bring more prosecutions of fly tippers, a role which was just about to start.

He said he hoped that the work of that officer would highlight spots where covert cameras could be used.

Purbeck councillor Bill Pipe said he could name one area in his patch where the cameras could be used: “that whole area is now a tip, quite frankly,” he said.