A businessman who got bored of waiting for the government to reduce fly-tipping has created a new app to combat the problem.

Martin Montague, a businessman from Winchester, has spent £250,000 of his own money creating the free service ClearWaste.com to help fight waste crime across the country.

Councils across the country can use the app or website to identify rubbish within their area including details and photographs of the illegal dumping.

Over time, the mapping technology should be able to discover patterns in fly-tipping in order to catch criminals.

“It came about because I was just absolutely sick to death of seeing fly-tipping everywhere,” said Mr Montague. “I really hate fly-tipping and the damage it does to our environment, not to mention the cost of cleaning it up.

“I’d had the idea for the ClearWaste app several years ago and I was hoping someone else – perhaps some part of government – would come up with a way of fixing it but nothing happened. The problem appeared to be getting worse rather than better.”

The app also aims to boost recycling rates by linking consumers who have, for example, unwanted DIY materials, reducing the amount going into landfill.

A price comparison section of the app and website allows users to find licenced waste companies to get rid of junk at reasonable prices,.

A social media advert for ClearWaste.com starring actor John Challis (Boycie in Only Fools and Horses), Emily Head (Carli in The Inbetweeners) and Frankie Oatway, from the Discovery series Strippers: Cars for Cash, has just been filmed to promote the company.

“If people find fly-tipped stuff they just take a picture with the app, put in a few details and a report will instantly be sent to the local council,” explained Mr Montague. “It’s hooked into every local authority in the country.

“There’s no need to go to council websites and find the right place to report it to or phone a helpline and sit waiting in a queue for your call to be answered.”

One of the worst incidents of fly-tipping the ClearWaste,com founder had seen was a full portaloo. "The portaloo was the last straw," he said. "I decided to highlight how bad fly-tipping is but giving it a quick paint job and turning it into a Tardis – or Turdis as some people called it.

“It is disgusting that someone could just fly-tip it - and leave it for some council employees to have to deal with.

“It’s bad for the environment, can be fatal to wildlife and costs councils thousands and thousands of pounds to clean-up, money that could be better spent on things like schools or care for the elderly. “

“So the more people's hands we can put the app into the better.”

The ClearWaste.com app is now live and available free from the Apple and Google Play app stores.

To view the ClearWaste.com advert, visit:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUq20THEKpI