Fly-tipping has trebled across Argyll and Bute in four years without a single prosecution, new figures reveal.
The number of reports of fly-tipping across the council area went from 117 in 2019/2020 to 339 in 2022/23, according to statistics obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Argyll and Bute Council saw a jump in reports during 2020/21 - the height of the Covid pandemic - and numbers have remained over 300 since.
In total, there were 1,089 reports in the area in four years.
But there were just seven fixed penalty notices issued in that time, with the most - three - being in 2021/22.
No reports in that time were passed to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), and there were no prosecutions.
During the period covered by the figures, the Advertiser has reported on fly-tipping incidents at Glen Fruin, Carman Hill, Portincaple and even close by Helensburgh's dedicated household waste and recycling centre at Blackhill.
An Argyll and Bute Council report in June 2022 revealed that incidents of fly-tipping were reported to the local authority more often in Helensburgh and Lomond than anywhere else in the council area - and that the number of hours spent by the council's wardens dealing with fly-tipping incidents in Helensburgh and Lomond had nearly doubled year-on-year.
Across Scotland there were only 51 cases sent to prosecutors out of almost 300,000 incidents over the four-year period - and there were only two convictions.
New rules, which came into effect at the start of this year, could see on-the-spot fines of up to £500 issued for fly-tipping.
That's more than double the previous penalty of £200 - though the penalties are still dependent on 'dumb dumpers' being caught in the act.
Plastic Free Helensburgh said they responded to a consultation on litter and fly-tipping consultation last year that led to a new National Litter and Fly-tipping Strategy Action Plan, mixing legislative changes, information sharing and more collection and use of data.
They urged the public to continue reporting incidents on Argyll and Bute Council's website.
And they residents can help with clean up after tipped bins in windy weather, use the Blackhill waste and recycling facility, or ask builders where they are disposing of waste after household work.
A Plastic Free Helensburgh spokesperson told the Advertiser: "Clearly incidents are being reported, and clearly there is a lot of mess.
"The cost and resource required to find who is responsible and issue fixed penalties or prosecutions is currently balanced on the side of 'it's worth taking a risk'.
"Whether the new higher fixed penalty, or possibility of other measures, is enough to stop people who can fill a vehicle and think it is fine to pollute the countryside, and have someone else bear the cost of cleaning up, we'll need to wait and see.
"Incidents over the Covid period were high with lots of clearing out, facilities closed and there was less chance of being caught.
"Householders, in good faith, were paying for stuff to be taken away, with no idea that it would be tipped in the nearest out of the way corner.
"Let's hope there is a change in culture."
The Scottish Lib Dems, who obtained the figures through a freedom of information request, called for the introduction of a restitution order, requiring people caught dumping to contribute to the cost of cleaning it up.
The party's communities spokesman Willie Rennie said: “I am relieved that, after years of pressure from my party, the government has finally increased the level of fines available.
“However, there is still a fundamental unfairness in the system which leaves farmers and other owners with the responsibility for clearing up waste dumped on their properties.
“More needs to be done to clamp down on this disgusting behaviour and to ensure that repeat offenders feel the full force of the law.
“Alongside a robust fixed penalty system, Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see the introduction of a new restitution order, enabling the courts to require contributions from offenders to cleaning up their mess."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is determined to tackle the serious environmental and economic impacts that fly-tipping causes which is why we published our litter and fly-tipping strategy last year.
“The strategy includes an increase in the fixed penalty amounts for fly-tipping offences from £200 to £500, which came into effect on 1 January 2024, and improving support and providing funding to aid private landowners in deterring fly-tipping on their land.
“We would encourage relevant public authorities to investigate fly-tipping on public and private land.”
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