COWDENBEATH councillor Darren Watt has backed a proposed bill to crack down on the "criminal" scourge of fly-tipping by hitting offenders in the pocket.

And he wants the public to have their say after Tory colleague, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser, launched a consultation on the illegal dumping of waste.

His members bill in the Scottish Parliament – backed by organisations including NFU Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates – aims to increase the current fixed penalty notice to £200, improve data collection of incidents and guarantee the person on whose land waste is disposed is not responsible for its removal.

Cllr Watt, pictured with his colleagues at a "known fly-tipping spot" between Cowdenbeath and Kingseat, said: “The vast majority of residents are responsible with their excess waste and are angry and frustrated because of the selfish actions of heedless individuals.

"We are seeing local countryside alongside Cuddyhouse Road desecrated with mattresses, carpets, white goods and garden waste, ironically less than a mile away from Cowdenbeath Recycling Centre.

"However, it doesn’t help that it is closed most of the week and access is denied to those with vans and large trailers.

"Many of our designated recycling points are often overfilled and polluted with mixed waste, further preventing people from recycling locally, efficiently and responsibly.

"Quite frankly, local people deserve better and that’s why I encourage everyone to make their feelings known during the consultation period.”

Mr Fraser said: “Fly-tipping is a growing problem across Fife and indeed in Scotland as a whole.

"It is a criminal, anti-social activity which doesn’t just cost thousands in clean-up costs but also damages the environment.

“It is clear that current legislation is inadequate to deal with the problem and that existing penalties are too low to act as a deterrent.

"That is why I am launching a consultation on a Member’s Bill at Holyrood to strengthen the law in this area. This will run for 3 months until the end of May, and I am keen to hear as many views as possible on what can be done to improve the situation.”

Last month Fife Council approved a new strategy designed to tackle fly-tipping, littering, dog-fouling and graffiti over the next two years.

These problems cost Scottish local authorities around £78 million a year but councillors were also told that an "extremely low" number of illegal dumping cases have been reported to the authorities for prosecution.

Procurator fiscal Sineidin Corrins said there have been just 57 reports relating to littering legislation in the whole of Tayside, Central and Fife since January 1, 2017.

Dunfermline North Tory councillor, Gavin Ellis, said: “While the environmental vandalism strategy is a positive start, you have to wonder why it’s taken near on five years for Fife’s administration to take fly tipping seriously.

"We have duty of care waste officers who will inspect premises for their waste compliance but what if that man with a van who is more than happy to take any type of waste away for £20 doesn’t work from a premises?

"I would have hoped to have seen a focus on digital investigations where these rogue fly tippers are traced and stopped roadside to be inspected, the good guys wouldn’t mind and could easily prove what they carry and where to, we need to stop fly tipping at source and on route.”