A crackdown on fly-tippers is to be launched following a surge in illegal dumping across the city.

The council is setting up a new unit to target tipping hot spots and issue fixed penalties.

Enforcement officers will work with the public and treat sites as “environmental crime scenes” and begin a search for evidence to identify the dirty dumpers.

Visible enforcement officers will target areas in the city where the dumping takes place and sites will be taped off while they try to catch the culprits.

READ MORE: Glasgow flytipping eyesore left for weeks but council can't clear it

Notices and warnings will be put up on and around sites to deter more dumping.

The Glasgow Times has highlighted fly tipping across the city with several sites blighted by the problem.

Glasgow Times:

Rubbish has been dumped under motorway bridges, on waste ground, in cemeteries and on land where buildings have been demolished.

In some cases, the council has said it is on private land and not within its remit to remove the material.

The plan will include reminding landowners of their responsibility to keep it clean.

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The council said if landowners fail to respond to the reminder, they will get  follow-up visits from environmental health staff.

Residents and local businesses will be asked to help in the effort to identify the fly tippers by providing any evidence or information.

Glasgow Times:

Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, said it is vital local people help put a stop to the to the dumping.

She said: “Local residents and businesses see what goes on in their community and that information can lead directly to enforcement action against fly-tippers. Our enforcement officers will make themselves known and visible in the areas where fly-tippers operate so we can get to the bottom of who is committing these damaging, environmental crimes.

“With the cooperation of communities and neighbourhoods we can take on those who care only for themselves above the needs of everyone else in the city.”

It is believed much of the tipping is from businesses trying to cut costs by dumping waste rather than pay to have it disposed of properly.

The crackdown will also include council officers moving into affected areas to ensure businesses have valid waste disposal contracts in place.

Where they do not, they will be issued with a 14-day enforcement notice to resolve the situation.

Councillor Richardson added: “There is a deep frustration within communities that a hardcore minority of people continue to trash the city’s environment with fly-tipping.

“The vast majority of people always dispose of the waste in the right way and treat their surroundings with due care.

Glasgow Times:

“But those who fly-tip have no regard for their environment and have no respect for the concerns of their fellow residents. Tackling these environmental criminals has to be a priority and we can do that with the support of affected communities.”

The crackdown will last for eight weeks in the first instance and then evaluated to work out how best to continue to target the problem.