The cost of installing CCTV at a fly-tipping hotspot would be recuperated “overnight”, according to the chairman of Watford Borough Council.

Cllr Jagtar Singh Dhindsa bemoaned recent problems at the corner of Chester Road and Harwoods Road, in West Watford, where people have been dumping large items including fridges, mattresses and even washing machines.

He says items this large are probably taken to the corner in a van, meaning the registration number of the offending vehicle would be captured on camera and therefore an easy prosecution could be achieved.

“This is a continuous situation. It happens week after week – it’s making people’s lives a misery,” said Cllr Dhindsa.

“We want the council to prosecute but we haven’t heard of any here. We want them to take stiff action.

“There’s CCTV everywhere in the High Street. CCTV here would deter them and it is long overdue - it would be so easy to prosecute.

“We would catch a few people, prosecute them, they wouldn’t do it again, and the council would make their money back overnight.”

Linda Dickenson, who lives on the plagued corner, said she would be happy for the camera to be installed on her house, adding: “They have got to be caught because they just keep on doing it.”

Another resident – Mary Devereux – said she saw a man carrying a mattress on his head, ready to dump it at the nearest available spot because people had no fear of reprisal.

However the council said fly-tipping at this location was believed to be the result of residents “incorrectly discarding domestic waste”, rather than being the work of commercial gangs of businesses.  

In a statement, Watford Borough Council said: “The fact that CCTV is possible, affordable or has public support isn’t justification.

“We would need to take into account the nature of the problem that needs to be resolved and then whether a surveillance system would be a justified and an effective solution, or indeed whether better solutions exist. 

“CCTV is less useful in this area as the images would need to clearly capture residents rather than vehicles, unless the individual is known and can be identified we would still be unable to take action. CCTV will only be effective in the limited area covered by the camera.”

The council also said the amount of fly-tipped waste here had reduced this month, pointing to a new sticker put on the corner advising about fly-tipping as a possible reason behind the drop.