HIDDEN cameras could be placed at fly-tipping hotspots across the county, as civic chiefs step up the fight against illegal dumpers.

Hampshire County Council is to trial the covert devices after receiving a £3,000 grant from the Rural Delivery Budget.

If successful, the council says it could be rolled-out county-wide.

This comes as part of the authority’s illegal dumping crackdown, which included the appointment of a new £50,000pa fly-tipping chief: Gareth Roberts.

Speaking about punishing those caught he said: “We are starting to build a better picture as to how much it costs the local authority for every fly-tipping event.

“We want to make sure that the fine fit the crime.”

Mr Roberts also revealed that the Winchester district saw a reduction of 100 tonnes in fly-tipped waste over the past year.

The findings for the rest of the county, which have yet to be verified by the Environment Agency, are due to be published in November.

Councillor John Bennison added: “It all seems very positive and I am looking forward to seeing the progress of the scheme.”