'Stop getting people from Facebook to clear rubbish for £10' and nine other things you said about fly-tipping

Matthew Giles of South Tyneside Green Party certainly touched a nerve with his letter of the week in the Gazette, on how South Tyneside Council should tackle the problem.

He suggested a scheme similar to Brighton, where designated drop-off points have been established for residents to place unwanted items, which are then taken away free of charge by the council at regular intervals.

This has drastically reduced fly-tipping incidents and has cut investigation and enforcement costs.

Here's what you thought of the idea: Linda Surtees Peters: "Yes, it's a disgrace, our street is a disgrace. I'm ashamed when we have out of area visitors. I usually go out and litter pick before their visits."

Maria Wilkinson: "Why don't council have a van drive around estates every so often, say first Tuesday of each month, where they park up for so long so people can dump [unwanted items] in the van for council to take to tip then return to collect more throughout that day. Will be much cheaper than sending van to collect fly-tipping then investigate who tipped etc. People are struggling to feed families and pay gas, electric etc, so can't afford to pay council to remove rubbish, resulting in tipping. Knowing a van will come round every month would eliminate the issue and keep estate clean and safe."

Agnes George: "If it's costing millions to clean up, why don't they remove it from people's homes free of charge? Employ more staff and reduce unemployment at the same time.

Related content: South Tyneside branded fly-tipping hot spot

Doreen Purvis: "When I had a fridge to dispose of I got together with my neighbours who had bulky items and we shared the cost of the collection service. I have seen people break up things like sofas and tables for easy transportation and get a friend or family member to take it by car to the tip. Nothing excuses fly-tipping."

Susan Davison: "People have no pride in their environment - the rubbish in the pic has been transported to where it has been dumped."

Donna Hopper: "People need to stop getting people from Facebook to clear rubbish for £10/20 because it ends up being dumped. If you're going to use someone from fb, check he's legit."

Joan Eggleston: "Fly-tipping and especially littered streets and roadside shrubberies are spoiling our towns, including South Shields. It's certainly an increasing problem. Can the council be more pro-active in motivating community 'friends of' specified areas. Most people are appalled by so.much litter and would help out in their neighbourhood."

Related content: Two-year delay for South Tyneside's 'report a fly tipper' phone app

Anne Hetherington: "Fly-tipping didn’t just start because councils charge for bulky items, it’s always been a problem. I remember the “dump” on Blackberry Hill."

Joanne Battenbo: "The council can't be responsible for every bit of rubbish or no longer wanted items from everyone. We pay council tax to cover our rubbish collection. Anything above and beyond they provide the recycling village, which is free of charge to use. People need to stop finding someone/thing to blame for everything in life. If you have items in the house you no longer need then pay someone to remove it if you don't have a car. Plenty of services will do it."

Marion Nicholson: "In Amsterdam, once a fortnight people put their unwanted items in a designated place on each street, and if others want something they take it. Then the rest is collected by the council and removed. It's recycling with a win-win. No fly-tipping!"