A COUNCILLOR has called for CCTV to be installed in “grot-spots” after a spate of fly-tipping in a library car park.

Prettygate Library, Colchester, has been the target of ongoing litter dumping which residents say has attracted rats to scurry around the community hub.

Binbags, children’s outdoor play equipment and a suitcase are just some of the items which have been discarded in the car park in recent weeks.

Prettygate councillor Sue Lissimore says the problem has been ongoing ever since the Colchester Council’s rubbish collection policy was reduced to three bags a fortnight.

Mrs Lissimore, who is also deputy leader of Colchester Council, said: “The council has spoken to residents in the area because it has been identified it is local people who have been doing it.

Gazette:

“One thing we are looking to do is put more money into CCTV so we have cameras which can be used in grot-spots to keep an eye on them.

“We are lucky to have an incredibly good CCTV system at the council and we would link these proposed mobile cameras to the main system so these spots could be watched. This is something we are looking to fund.”

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Mrs Lissimore, who has lived in Prettygate for more than 30 years, added action is being taken against those being found to dump their rubbish.

It comes as more fly-tipped waste was discovered in Colchester last year, figures show, although no court fines were handed out.

Gazette:

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs data shows 2,357 fly-tipping incidents were reported to Colchester Council in 2020-21.

This was a 43 per cent increase on the 1,649 discoveries made the year before.

Mrs Lissimore added: “Fly-tipping has increased and it’s really something we need to keep an eye on and try to find out why people are doing it. Is it laziness or a lack of education?

“This is a beautiful town and fly-tipping costs us thousands in council taxpayers’ money which pays to get rid of it.

“We need to make sure it is at the absolute minimum and we are doing everything we can to prevent and deal with it.”