Organised crime gangs who have moved into the 'lucrative' world of fly-tipping are being targeted by police and councils across Cheshire.

The Cheshire Waste Crime Partnership – which comprises the police, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington borough councils together with the environment agency – is working hard to clamp down on fly-tipping – which can have a serious impact on farmland and animals.

The county's police commissioner, John Dwyer, told the last meeting of the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel: "Our main focus will be on clamping down on the scourge of fly-tipping.

"What we've discovered is that organised crime groups are now dipping their toe into the fly-tipping world because it's quite lucrative and the penalties, frankly, do not match at all the penalties they get with their other activities such as drug dealing – so they might end up with a fine which is neither here nor there."

Photo: Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner, John Dwyer

The commissioner told the meeting he believed the penalties for fly-tipping should be higher.

"It's an issue I want to address with the government in relation to penalties for this serious issue because farmers in particular end up having to clear up the mess left behind by these fly-tippers who don't care," said Mr Dwyer.

"They can pollute the ground that farmers have got crops in, have got animals in, so the knock-on effect to farming is quite significant and that's why it is important that we do deal with it properly."