����ý

No fly tipping fines were issued in one Welsh council area in 2020, despite an increase in reports.

Despite complaints rising by about 13% on 2019, Blaenau Gwent council admitted it was hampered by the pandemic, which may have led to evidence being lost.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), there were 1,325 complaints about fly tipping last year, up from 1,168 in 2019.

There were just two fly tipping prosecutions carried out in 2019.

The council also issued just 186 littering fines in 2020, compared to 805 the previous year.

Labour councillor John Morgan said it was "extremely disappointing" that no fines were issued, but he understood the impact of the pandemic on the situation.

"The fact that no penalty notices have been issued is letting the general public down, but it's also letting the council workforce down who are out there clearing up fly-tipping," he said.

Joanna Wilkins, the council's executive member for the environment, admitted the pandemic had brought "significant and unprecedented" challenges.

"Covid safety measures means enforcement work in relation to fly-tipping investigations have to be carried out in a way that minimises the risk of further spreading the virus," she said.

"The removal and safe disposal of potentially infectious waste was our priority during the early stages of the pandemic and this meant that some evidence that would have normally been recovered from the waste may have subsequently been lost."

She added the council has a "number" of active investigations under way.