Fly-tipping across Hertfordshire has gone up by more than 50 per cent since the start of the Covid pandemic, new figures suggest.

In 2019/20 there were 11,208 incidents of fly-tipping reported across the county – with a monthly average of 934.

But latest data shows that in the nine months between April and December last year (2020) there were 13,026 fly-tipping incidents – with a monthly average of 1447.

Based on current projections, Hertfordshire waste experts expect the number of incidents by the end of the year to reach 17,368.

That's more than 50 per cent higher than the year before – and the highest level since 2012.

The data was reported to a meeting of the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership earlier this week.

Partnership development manager Duncan Jones said: "We have seen excessive levels of fly-tipping in November and December – January is panning out to be the same way.

"Where we currently stand we are about 54 per cent up on the same period last year.

"And as a result 2021 will be highest level of fly-tipping on record since 2012, which is really disappointing given that in 2019 we had he second lowest annual total reported for the partnership.

"It's a situation that's replicated in other parts of the country, but there are others that have seen an overall reduction during the pandemic."