Four fixed penalty notices of £600 each have been issued in a fly-tipping crackdown in the Cotswolds.

Cotswold District Council issued the fines over the last six weeks to residents who breached waste disposal duty of care regulations.

The council said the penalties serve as a reminder of the importance of adhering to legal waste disposal requirements to protect the environment.

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Residents and businesses are legally required to ensure that individuals removing waste from their property are authorised to do so.

Non-compliance with these regulations can result in penalties, as demonstrated by the recent enforcement actions.

Councillor Juliet Layton, cabinet member for planning and regulatory services, said: "We want to remind everyone in the district that they have a legal duty to ensure their waste is disposed of correctly by a licensed carrier.

"Fly-tipping and illegal waste disposal can have a serious impact on the environment, and we all have a responsibility to prevent it.

"The recent penalties issued are a clear demonstration that we take this matter very seriously.

"It’s crucial for residents and businesses to check where their waste is going and who is disposing of it."

The fines were part of the council’s ongoing efforts to tackle fly-tipping and reduce illegal waste disposal across the district.

Earlier this year, the council received more than £38,000 from the Government’s Fly-tipping Intervention Grant Scheme to improve its enforcement activities.

The funding has supported new initiatives to further clamp down on those responsible for fly-tipping and other environmental offences.