Fly-tipping is an environmental menace. Those who dump their industrial and building rubbish by the side of the road or on patches of spare land rather than taking it to the proper tip deface the city.

It saves them money in the charges they would have to pay to dispose of their waste materials legally (which is of course why they do it) but clearing away the mess they make costs council taxpayers a small fortune.

It is bad enough when the tipping is merely aesthetically offensive. However, some of the items which are being dumped regularly in the Bowling area of Bradford within 300 yards of one of the city's largest official council tips also present a serious health hazard.

It is highly irresponsible to dump refrigerators which can release damaging CFC gases into the atmosphere or tyres which, if set alight, can cause smoke contamination over a wide area.

But it is crass stupidity to throw away sheets of roofing materials containing deadly asbestos in an area where many motorists pass by and children play, as some of the Birkshall Lane dumpers have done.

Environment Agency investigators are to be congratulated on their undercover investigation which has allowed them to prepare files on 20 cases for taking to magistrates court.

Let's hope they lead to successful prosecutions and that the magistrates - who could impose fines of up to £20,000 under the Environmental Protection Act - see fit to use their powers to send out a strong deterrent message about this dangerous practice.