Fly tipping is an irritating and costly curse. And it is very difficult to control.

It is carried out by people who are uncaring and selfish.

They want to get rid of rubbish and avoid going to a tip where they may be faced with a charge if they run a business.

So instead they dump it, usually in the dead of night, usually where they are unlikely to be spotted.

And unless someone spots them and takes down their registration they will get away with it.

It is then left to the local council or the landowner to clear it up.

That is time-consuming and costly.

The problem is how to track down those responsible.

The chances of a council official being nearby are a million to one.

But even at night they may be seen by a passerby.

That is why the city council is appealing for help in tracking down the fly-tipper who dumped rubble, sofas and fridges beside the Portway.

And they are right to call for our help. In fact they should do this more regularly.

If fly-tippers thought there was a greater risk of them being reported then they would think twice.

This is not an issue where people should shrug their shoulders or turn a blind eye. For fly-tipping not only ruins the look of an area it costs hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to clear up.

That is our money which could be spent in much better ways.