More than 1,700 mattresses have been dumped in Norwich over the last two years, more than almost anywhere else in the UK.
More than 1,700 mattresses have been dumped in Norwich over the last two years, making it one of the worst places in the UK for such incidents.
Nationally, more than 33,000 mattresses were illegally dumped in 2018 and 2019, with 1,722 incidents in Norwich during that time, according to new research by The Furniture Recycling (TFR) Group.
Only Bristol, Bradford and Manchester had worse records - the latter topped the list with 3,871 fly-tipped.
Mattresses are free to dispose of at local recycling centres but make up almost seven per cent of all waste illegally dumped in the last two years in the UK.
More than 500,000 fly-tipped incidents were recorded in 77 major towns and cities in that time, with Norwich coming in 13th with 11,538 reports.
Liverpool topped the list with 41,281 cases of illegal dumping over the 24 months.
Recycling firm TFR Group expects to see a 30pc rise in the number of mattresses being processed at the start of the year with 'fly-tipping Friday' - a particularly prolific day for incidents of household dumping - approaching on January 3.
Dumping is particularly prevalent at this time of year as people take advantage of the post-Christmas sales to replace household items.
Managing director of TFR Group Nick Oettinger said: "While the government has made a number of steps towards addressing our waste problem, including granting local authorities the power to issue fixed penalty notices for small-scale fly-tipping in early 2019, and proposals to launch a 'fly-tipping toolkit', there's still a long way to go to tackle our waste crisis."
In Norfolk, a charge was introduced in April 2018 for disposing of DIY waste at tips across the county, though council officers say they do not feel this has seen a rise in illegal dumping.
However, there have now more than 100,000 fly-tipping incidents in Norfolk since 2012, costing millions for local authorities to clear.
A spokesperson for Norwich City Council said last month that the council takes the problem seriously and that a lot of dumped materials can be disposed of without paying.
They said: ""Much of fly-tipped rubbish in Norwich could have been disposed of free of charge at Swanton Road recycling centre, or collected by Norwich City Council for a small fee, yet some people still continue with this criminal behaviour.
"We work hard to prevent fly-tipping, such as proactive clearances to avoid further rubbish being dumped, signage around fly-tipping hotspots and encourage residents to report incidents, as well as provide information about how to responsibly deal with waste."
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