Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) spent more than £60,000 tackling fly-tipping last year but received just £75 in fines.

The total cost of clearing 886 incidents across the borough in 2014-15 was £55,598, with a further £5,049 forked out on investigating incidents and taking action against offenders. Just one fixed-penalty notice was paid.

While the figures may seem bad, the year before the authority spent more than £90,000 on clearance and enforcement, yet received just £650 from culprits.

The costs, released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), also show how the problem in neighbouring boroughs compares.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) fared better, spending £49,083 – almost half what it spent the previous year.

According to Defra’s figures TMBC did not receive any money back in fines, although the authority confirmed it made £10,000 in waste enforcement, which includes on-the-spot litter fines.

Neighbouring Tunbridge Wells Borough Council spent a whopping £77,215, more than three times its total outlay the year before, and received £350 in paid fines.

A Defra spokesman said an additional £4.2 million of funding for the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime was announced in last year’s budget. Fixed-penalty notices for small-scale fly-tipping are also due to be brought in over the next few months.

Cllr Marion Ring, chairman of MBC’s Communities, Housing and Environment Committee, said: “It’s extremely difficult to secure the evidence needed to fine or prosecute someone, but we’re working on a range of initiatives to give us the best chance of catching fly-tippers in the act.

“We are using CCTV in areas where it’s a regular issue so we will be in a better position to bring to justice the offenders.”

Kent County Council, which is responsible for disposing waste, was unable to provide its costs for tackling fly-tipping in the same period. The previous year, it spent £53,617.18 in Maidstone borough.

Report fly-tipping or get information by calling 01622 602162 or visiting maidstone.gov.uk