THE battle against grime crime in Llanidloes has been stepped up after a CCTV camera was installed at a town centre car park blighted by fly tippers.

A hidden camera was put in place by Powys County Council after residents complained about fly tipping in the area.

The council’s Waste Awareness and Enforcement Team were sent to the Gro car park on Church Street to install the new surveillance camera.

Signs have also been placed across the car park warning people about the consequences of illegally disposing waste. In the most serious cases of fly-tipping, people can be fined up to £50,000 and could face a prison sentence.

Posting on their Facebook page, Powys Recycles said: “Out with our local enforcement officer investigating complaints about fly tipping by the public toilets on the Gro carpark in Llanidloes. CCTV and appropriate warning signage installed.”

They added that they were working in partnership with Dyfed-Powys Police along with the Welsh Government and Natural Resource Wales’ Fly-Tipping Action Wales initiative “to improve community safety”.

“We have had a number of successes with these cameras already leading directly to suspects who have gone on to be sanctioned via fixed penalty notices or prosecuted in court.”

A Powys County Council spokesman said: “We are committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.

“It’s not just a problem in Powys, unfortunately, but nationally.

They added that mobile cameras were placed in fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour “hotspots” across Powys.

Powys Council Council is reminding residents to dispose waste “appropriately and recycle where you can, and in the proper manner”.