Hidden cameras used to catch people dumping rubbish at fly tipping hot spots in Fenland are often stolen councillors were told.

The revelation of the stolen covert cameras came during a discussion on fly tipping at Thursday’s (23) full council meeting.

Councillor Sam Hoy raised the issue of fly tipping in Halfpenny Lane and New Drove in Wisbech which she said is disgusting.

She said: “Fly tipping in Half Penny Lane and New Drove has been going on for years. Every time the street team clears it the rubbish comes back and it’s getting worse and worse.

“Is there any action that we can take to convict those doing it?.”

Councillor Peter Murphy, portfolio holder for environment, agreed it was a problem and that work is carried out regularly to clear New Drove.

He said there is rubbish dumped both on public and private land and investigations are regularly carried out to identify where it has come from by sifting through it looking for clues such as mail or what type of refuse it is.

But he said as a last resort the council does apply for permission to use covert cameras to gather evidence at some hot spots - but he added that as these hot spots are often isolated and rural “as soon as we put up a camera it gets stolen”.