FLYTIPPERS now face jail for the offence. Under a new law, they now face five years in prison and a maximum £50,000 fine.

Defra's Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act came into force on Tuesday, giving councils greater powers to prosecute offenders. But local groups fear the problem will continue.

A National Farmers' Union spokeswoman said: "It's a very real problem for farmers throughout the region and we welcome the new provision.

"One slight reservation is that one reason people target rural areas is because there are not many people about and they feel less likely to be caught.

"I don't think this is an easy nut to crack and farmers are left with the cost of removing the stuff. It can be quite expensive."

She said dumped items could contain asbestos or pollute streams and land, adding to farmers' woes.

Dorothy Fairburn, regional director of the Country Land and Business Association, was also cautious.

She said: "Flytipping is a big problem in this area. We have had to put up with a lot. People will now think twice and that's welcome news.

"This has been a long-running problem; we have been looking for something much tougher."

The Defra action comes as new figures show a flytipping offence is committed in the UK every 35 seconds.

It means offenders can no longer hide behind a defence of claiming to be acting under employers' instructions, and underlines the Government's hard-line approach to the problem.

Eric Kendall, head of environmental health and housing in Hambleton District, said the area was not as badly affected as more urban ones.

He added: "It would be difficult to eradicate all flytipping. The difficulty we have is with resources as you have to have to witness someone flytipping to prosecute and we have such a large area.

"We do target hot-spot areas with covert cameras, but it's one of the biggest districts and we can't cover everywhere."

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said: "Flytipping is an issue as in every urban area. But it is very much the minority who don't want to be bothered with the cost and responsibility of getting rid of it properly."

He said the move would help; even if it did not deter persistent offenders, it might stop more casual ones.

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act also covers littering in any open space with £75 on-the-spot fines.

There is also new legislation covering the sale and repair of vehicles on the road as part of a business, and fly-posting.

Ben Bradshaw MP, the Local Environment Minister, said: "Hopefully the new Act will see a change in mindset, improvements in our local environment, and pride restored to our communities."