Enfield has been labelled the worst place in Britain for fly-tipping - but the authority claims its proactive approach to the problem has lead to distorted figures.

According to statistics from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs there were 70,930 fly-tipping cases in Enfield up to March 2016, equivalent to 22 per cent of its population.

Haringey came next with 34,975 and then Newham with 32,718.

A spokesperson for Enfield Council, said: “The figures for the borough were so high because they include all dumped waste and not just fly-tips reported by residents.

“What the figures from Defra do show is that Enfield Council is the most active council in the country when it comes to dealing with fly tippers and keeping our streets clean.

“The data reflect that we are vigorous in our approach to littering across the borough.

“We aim to clear all reported fly tips within four hours of them reported.

“We also have an extensive enforcement programme in place for people caught fly tipping and have issued over 900 fixed penalty notices over the last 12 months for dumped waste and fly tipping.

“Our research shows that imposing charges on litterers acts as a powerful deterrent and so we will continue to target litterers and others who try to wreck our beautiful borough.”

City of London was the borough with the fewest fly-tipping offences at 627.

Meanwhile, Barking and Dagenham Council are tracking down a fly-tipper who off-loaded 40 tonnes of rubbish near Goresbrook School.