This council is taking action on waste, to make sure that our county always looks the best it can.

When we took over Northumberland County Council in May of last year, one thing that came across clearly was that residents had a real problem with the council’s attitude to waste. Our county, which is gifted with natural beauty, became overrun with litter. In our streets, at the roadsides and on our beaches litter became the norm and the previous administration seemed unwilling or unable to do anything about it.

We want to take the opposite approach, ensuring all residents know that littering is not okay. We are funding an awareness campaign to demonstrate the damage done by disregarded waste, and the fines associated with improperly disposing of litter. Posters will be placed on the back of buses and at garage forecourts to remind everyone that Northumberland is a beautiful county, and so it should stay.

We hope that people will think twice before throwing their rubbish out of their  car or van window in future because it costs the Council £2.6 million a year to pick it up - money which could be much better spent on frontline services.

We're also looking to install dashcams in council vehicles to help us to identify the people who feel it’s acceptable to damage the county in this way. Already this year 100 people have been fined for littering.

If you see litter on the street, or fly-tipping in your area you can report it here.

You can also report the culprits, and if they’re successfully prosecuted you can help make sure they receive a Fixed Penalty Notice for their crime. Don’t forget, if you don’t say it, it won’t get sorted. So report instances of littering and fly-tipping here.