Ashford council has failed to issue any on-the-spot fly-tipping fines since new powers were introduced last year – despite pledging to crack down on people illegally dumping rubbish.

The government gave local authorities the ability to hand out fixed penalty notices (FPN) last May, meaning fly-tippers caught in the act can face a fine of up to £400 without going to court.

However, despite Ashford Borough Council (ABC) previously promising to get tough on those who flout the rules, it has failed to penalise anyone.

Keen cyclist John Goodman, who lives in Willesborough, regularly spots dumped waste while out riding.

“I simply do not understand why they haven’t fined people,” he said.

“I am very much aware that the council, and in particular leader Gerry Clarkson, is very concerned about fly-tipping, so this does surprise me.

“It is not easy to catch the people. Presumably they dump the rubbish at night or in out-of-the-way places, but if they get caught, they should be fined.”

Earlier this year, ABC cabinet member Cllr Clair Bell (Con) said the authority would use the new fines to curb fly-tipping in the area.

"We do not have a dedicated team to tackle fly-tipping at the moment..." - Ashford Borough Council

She said in January: “Fly-tipping is a blight on the landscape for all local authorities to deal with.

"Setting an FPN at the maximum amount is a clear indication of how seriously this authority views this offence and the strong stance we take on enforcement.”

In response to the statistics – which were obtained by the Press Association – ABC spokesman Christina Bailey said the authority works with Kent County Council and police to tackle fly-tipping.

She said: “Those caught fly-tipping may be issued a fixed penalty notice of £400. No FPNs for fly-tipping of that scale have been issued to date.

"However, the council has completed two successful fly-tipping prosecutions.

“We do not have a dedicated team to tackle fly-tipping at the moment – we react to disposals that have evidence.

“However, our litter enforcers, 3GS, work with us by reporting fly-tips when they are on patrol, and are able to issue a FPN if fly-tipping is witnessed.

“We encourage people to report evidence of fly-tipping and information about the culprits.”