More than 2,000 fly-tipping incidents were reported in Bolton in the space of three years – but this figure was the lowest out of every Greater Manchester borough.

Greater Manchester councils have seen 93,629 fly-tipping incidents reported between 2020 and 2022.

According to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) data, five boroughs saw a reduction in 2021/2022 compared to the previous year but five saw an increase.

GM areas provided a large chunk of the total 128,426 incidents recorded across the north west in 2021/22 – down from 140,220 in the previous year.

As well as posing significant and environmental health risks, fly-tipping can be a legal and financial burden. 

Local authorities are usually left to clean up the mess left by fly-tippers, which means the taxpayer is picking up the bill for people too lazy to dispose of their rubbish properly.

DEFRA data estimates it costs on average £1,000, and £10,000 for large-scale incidents to clean up. Most councils use fines as enforcement action and have taken people to court over the matter.

Bolton saw a reduction in fly-tipping incidents across the two years. In 2021/22 they had 1,184 reports, which is slightly down from the previous year at 1,250.

The council did not respond to the request for a comment.

Here is how each GM borough ranks in terms of total fly-tipping incidents between the start of 2020 and the end of 2022 and an individual breakdown of data:

Manchester – 28,890

Rochdale – 11,583

Salford – 11,190

Tameside – 9,165

Oldham – 7,475

Stockport – 7,153

Bury – 6,631

Trafford – 6,037

Wigan – 3,071

Bolton – 2,434