Companies in the region have been warned to check up on businesses who offer to dispose of their waste at cheap prices.

The Environment Agency says it is increasingly investigating businesses for 'duty of care' offences, which occur when a company pays someone to take waste away but does not check that they are licensed.

When the waste is found dumped illegally, paperwork can often lead back to the business which supplied the waste rather than the contractor.

The Agency has warned that some cowboy contractors cruise back alleys looking for bulky waste awaiting collection and others offer their services by claiming to be the cheapest waste disposal service around.

Under the Duty of Care regulations businesses can only legally give their waste to disposal contractors registered with the Environment Agency.

Jan Davie, environment manager, said: "When using a disposal firm for the first time businesses must check to see if the contractor is registered. Failure to do so is a criminal offence and can be very costly if it ends up in court. There should also be paperwork saying which company has taken the waste away.

"If you are quoted a price that seems too good to be true, then it probably is."