BAGS and waste dumped illegally are "a blot on the landscape", an official has said.

East Dorset District Council is appealing for people to report fly-tippers, especially now clocks have gone back an hour, allowing people dumping rubbish extra hours of darkness.

The South West region, which includes East Dorset, had the fewest recorded incidents of fly-tipping in England over the last year at around 50,000 incidents.

But the problem has cost local authorities £73.7 million, dealing with over 2.6 million incidents of fly-tipping in the last year.

Two-thirds of the items fly-tipped involved black bags and household waste and incidents of fly-tipping have risen five per cent in the last year.

East Dorset District Council has a duty to clear litter and refuse from public places, but not from private land.

Residents are being asked to help council officials by providing information so that fly-tippers are prosecuted and to ensure dumped materials are removed swiftly.

They are also being asked to wisely choose people to take away hedge clippings, building or house clearance waste, by asking which licensed waste disposal site traders offering these services will use.

Lindsay Cass, the council's head of technical services, said: "East Dorset is a beautiful district and does not suffer from a large fly-tipping problem.

"However, because of this, when fly-tipping does occur it stands out as a real blot on the landscape.

"The council wants to nip this activity in the bud to ensure it never becomes a big problem."

Anyone spotting fly-tipping in progress is asked not to put themselves at risk but to note the date, time and place, how much and what sort of waste there is, and give a description of any person or vehicle involved, including the registration number.

Contact East Dorset District Council on 01202 886201.