Six people in three months have been ordered to pay new fines brought in to crack down on illegal fly-tipping.

Hertsmere Borough Council brought in the new £300 fines at the start of the year to penalise people for small-scale fly-tipping.

One Borehamwood culprit was caught after ditching several chairs, mattresses and furniture outside Meryfield Community Primary School, in Theobald Street.

A van driver was fined twice for dumping 11 bags of rubble and a kitchen worktop in two separate incidents in Aycliffe Road.

A householder was punished for illegally leaving two mattresses, a sofa, chair and cushions in a parking area in Watling Street, Radlett.

A man from Bushey was also fined for dumping empty cardboard boxes by recycling bins in Kemp Place car park.

More than 800 incidents of flytipping were recorded in 2016/17 and the council spent £35,955 investigating and clearing these incidents.

Since 2010, illegal rubbish dumping has more than doubled and has cost Hertsmere taxpayers £160,000 so far.

The fines are reduced to £200 if paid within 10 days and this money will go towards the council’s costs.

The council has been running its “Could this be yours?” campaign to highlight the dangers of employing unlicensed waste carriers.

For more information visit www.hertsmere.gov.uk/couldthisbeyours.