FLY-TIPPERS and car thieves have been dealt a major blow thanks to two schemes by Durham County Council.

The council has built an earth bank along a half-mile section of Waldridge Lane, near Chester-le-Street, which has been a notorious fly-tipping spot for years.

The £12,500 scheme now makes it impossible to dump rubbish off the road and down the bank leading to the burn below.

Over the years, items such as rubble, furniture and abandoned cars have been removed from the site at what the council calls a significant cost to the tax-payer.

A hedge will be planted along the top of the bank in the autumn.

The council has also erected four stone blocks at the end of Wordsworth Avenue at Pelton Fell, near Chester-le-Street to prevent car thieves gaining access to the adjacent Cong Burn Wood local nature reserve, one of the most important wildlife habitats in County Durham.

Many of the cars are dumped and set on fire.

Fly-tippers also use the wood and the council is hoping that the blocks will help prevent their illegal dumping of rubbish.

Fly-tipping is a big problem across the county and the council predicts that it will spend more than £162,000 in combating the tippers this year in its country parks and picnic areas alone.

Andy Niven, the council's countryside manager said: "We get through more than 10,000 bin bags a year and we have to dispose of all sorts of rubbish, often large quantities need to be removed with a JCB.

"Not only do we incur the costs of having to clear it up, we then have to pay to dispose of it.

"Tyres are a particular problem and are very expensive to dispose of properly.

"I would urge anyone who spots people fly-tipping to report it to the Environment Agency hotline - 0800 807060 - because they are costing the tax-payer money, as well as blighting the environment.''