FIGURES showing a decrease in fly-tipping in Bolton have been criticised as “misleading”.

Earlier this month, newly released Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) figures showed a reduction in fly-tipping incidents in Bolton from 4,903 in 2014/15 to 2,964 in 2015/16.

However, Kevin Walsh, chairman of the Bolton Liberal Democrats, has urged the council to release up-to-date statistics.

He said: “Since the figures were released, a whole 12 months have passed. That’s 12 months of further fly-tipping and littering, of residents complaining about their streets and parks being used as dumping grounds, and struggling with slim-bins.”

A council spokesman said that the full figures for 2016/17 are not yet available and will be submitted to DEFRA in April, but that data collected so far this year indicates that fly-tipping has fallen again.

Cllr Nick Peel added that it was “downright daft” to claim that fly-tipping in Bolton is linked to slim bins.