If you fly-tip in Norfolk your chances of ending up in court facing a stiff fine and a criminal record have just increased.That is the message from South Norfolk Council which this week brought its first ever prosecution for fly tipping, after launching a crackdown on environmental crime last year.

If you fly-tip in Norfolk your chances of ending up in court facing a stiff fine and a criminal record have just increased.

That is the message from South Norfolk Council which last week brought its first ever prosecution for fly tipping, after launching a crackdown on environmental crime last year.

At Norwich Magistrates Court on Monday last week Kelvin Neale of Aylsham pleaded guilty to fly-tipping plastic bags, rubbish, bricks and garden waste in a field near East Carleton.

He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £350 towards the council's combined legal and environmental costs - including clearing up the mess.

David Bills, cabinet member for the environment, has promised more prosecutions will follow. And he thanked those who witnessed the incident and reported it, and agencies that helped the council's investigation.

“We said we would prosecute, we have, and we will continue to do so. Life for these environmental criminals who are trying to spoil our beautiful Norfolk countryside has just got a lot tougher,” he said.

The prosecution brings to a successful close an investigation which began on August 31 last year when the local authority's environmental crime team took a call reporting the fly-tip incident and giving them a vehicle registration.

“Despite what may appear to be clear evidence, prosecuting fly-tippers is complex and time consuming. It requires patient and determined detective work to build a robust legal case. But fly-tippers now know we mean business when we say we will prosecute - and they know that our community loathes what they do,” Mr Bills added.

He said: “Fly-tippers must now fear that not only could council CCTV cameras be filming them, they could also be spotted by the community, and be reported to us on our environmental crime freephone hotline - 0808 168 2999. We are delighted with the success of this first prosecution and we are now preparing our next case, which we hope will come to court in the near future.”

South Norfolk Council now has the latest in CCTV camera technology in operation and the footage will be used as evidence in future court cases.