Fly-tipping in Ryedale has increased by almost 50% since last year, new figures show.

Figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show there were 86 fly-tipping incidents in Ryedale in the year to March 2023 – an increase of 48% from 58 in 2021-22.

In Ryedale, most fly-tipped waste was discovered on highways, accounting for 91% of recorded incidents.

The largest proportion of discarded waste was household waste, making up 28% of all incidents.

Across Malton and Norton, volunteers with the two towns' Tidy Group picked 543 bags of litter in the last 12 months plus debris, from the roadsides, verges, open spaces, laybys, and a few bits of private property.

A spokesperson for the group said: "The number of bags was boosted somewhat by the clearance of a couple of laybys on the A64 Malton bypass - 50 bags plus lots and lots of debris -tyres, crates, cones, worktops, shoes and what looked like the national collection of plastic cutlery. The A64 is the real blight through our community."

The group was helped by a member of Malton and Norton Canoe Club and Streetscene clear a substantial amount of debris from the River Derwent between the two road bridges - shopping trolleys, bicycles, traffic signage and roadside grates included.

The spokesperson added: "In addition to litter picking a bit of sweeping and weed removal has taken place. The traffic islands in York Road, Welham Road and Scarborough Road cleared of bags full of soil and weeds, and pavements in Langton Road and Beverley Road cut out and swept.

3,953 bags of litter have been collected by the Tidy Group in the past 10 years.

Across England, local authorities dealt with slightly fewer incidents in 2022-23 – 1.08 million compared with 1.09 million in 2021-22. However, environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy warned the number of 'tipper lorry load’ size or larger incidents has increased by 13%.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “It is time for the public and our justice system to say ‘enough is enough’ and tackle the selfish vandals who are trashing our environment for profit.

“The public can play their part by ensuring that they only give their unwanted ‘stuff’ to reputable, licensed waste carriers who will dispose of it correctly and the courts must help by using the considerable sentencing powers they have to order hefty fines and even jail ‘professional fly-tippers’ when they are caught.

“Environmental crime is not a victimless crime – we are all victims of it.”

The number of fixed penalty notices issued across the country fell from 91,000 in 2021-22 to 73,000 in 2022-23, with five in Ryedale.

While the average court fine increased by 13% to £526, there were fewer fines given last year with a total value of £785,000 compared to £837,000 in the year before.

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help Malton and Norton Tidy Group can find further details on their Facebook page.