SHEFFIELD is the second worst authority in the country for fly-tipping, according to a new report.
The city is named and shamed in a list compiled by the Countryside Alliance which fears a fly-tipping epidemic is sweeping the country.
The report claims Liverpool has the biggest problem, followed by Sheffield and the London borough of Haringey.
Figures show that nationally nearly 2.5 million incidents of unlawful rubbish dumping are recorded each year but only one in 100 leads to a prosecution.
Simon Hart, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "What motivates fly-tipping appears to be a careless attitude by those who would never dream of breaking the law in any other way."
Although people in rural areas are most concerned about the problem, most rubbish is actually dumped in cities.
It also says some people dump bulky household items that won't be accepted at the local tip.
Coun Bryan Lodge, the council's cabinet member for streetscene and green spaces, said the report was flawed because of "inconsistencies between the method of collating the information in Sheffield".
He added: "This was rectified back in October 2006 and we are confident the future figures will show a significant decrease.
"However, we recognise fly-tipping is a problem that is a blight on the landscape when it occurs and we are aiming to introduce new measures including covert surveillance operation to tackle irresponsible individuals spoiling the environment for the rest of the community."
