FLY-TIPPING is getting worse, according to new statistics which show a four per cent rise across the country.

But a Hampshire civic chief says the problem has eased in Hampshire in the last three months.

The news will comes as a surprise to many with a spate of incidents recently including the dumping of a speedboat in a car park in Shirley, Southampton and 100 tyres left along the middle of a lane in the New Forest.

It comes as three people have been fined by the district council after two fly-tipping incidents in the Forest.

More than 400kg of waste including fence panels, car parts and rubbish was dumped in Ashurst.

It was traced back to a local business, which has not been named, whose owners were fined £300 each for failing to produce waste disposal documentation. This was reduced to £225 each on payment received within 10 days.

In a second case the un-named person who took the waste, including a freezer, found dumped near Vereley car park in Burley, was fined £400, reduced to £300 on prompt payment.

Cllr Barry Rickman, leader of New Forest District Council, said: "Fly-tipping is unacceptable and puts our residents, wildlife and environment at risk. We will work with our partners to act swiftly and fine those responsible whenever possible.

"On this occasion, those responsible included the businesses who failed to make sure they were giving their waste to someone who would dispose of it properly.

Bruce Rothnie, Deputy Surveyor for the Forestry Commission, said: "Evidence collected at the scenes by Forestry Commission staff was passed to the district council, who carried out investigations, this is a good example of our joint working.

"The Forestry Commission spent over £70,000 last year on scheduled litter removal and our reports show there’s been an increase in the dumping of hazardous waste, which in turn increases the amount we spend on clearing away rubbish."

Meanwhile MP George Hollingbery has met Cllr Rob Humby to discuss the problem.

The talks came after incidents where 150 tyres were dumped in East Hampshire and in North Boarhunt where sofas, TVs and even a van were illegally offloaded.

Mr Hollingbery was briefed in Bishop’s Waltham about how the council is tackling the problem and was told incidents had fallen since council-run recycling centres allowed small-scale commercial waste to be dropped off for a charge.

“Fly tipping is a major bugbear in the Meon Valley and it rightly upsets residents who see this beautiful part of the world blighted by unscrupulous people who won’t pay to either recycle or legally dispose of the waste,” he said.

Cllr Humby, executive member for environment and transport at the county council, added: “We are seeing a slight but steady decrease in fly-tipping around Hampshire in the last three months, and we continue to work closely with our partners at the district councils, the Environment Agency, Police and countryside groups to tackle fly-tipping by improving reporting and prosecutions, as well as helping residents and businesses understand their own duty of care and liability when employing any business to take away their waste."

He also said small firms could now dispose of waste at Household Waste Recycling Centres on a chargeable basis.