HARINGEY Council has rubbished claims about its poor track record on refuse collection. Recent figures revealed by national database Flycapture show the borough is one of the worst in the country for punishing fly tippers. But environment boss Cllr Brian

HARINGEY Council has rubbished claims about its poor track record on refuse collection.

Recent figures revealed by national database Flycapture show the borough is one of the worst in the country for punishing fly tippers.

But environment boss Cllr Brian Haley said they give an inaccurate picture of the cost of clearing up the mess because of the way the survey was compiled.

Last year the figure was £724,000 and 1,000 penalty notices were issued to offenders.

Cllr Haley said: "There is no getting around the fact that flytipping is a serious issue in Haringey and we continue to step up our action against those who dump materials in the borough.

"But it's also important that our taxpayers know the genuine cost of the problem, as it's less than half the cost suggested by the Flycapture database.

"We have a good track record for removing dumping within 24 hours, and we are confident that our tougher line against flytippers and improved use of CCTV will help us cut illegal dumping in Haringey."

AXEMEN who illegally chop down trees have been warned by Haringey Council to cut it out.

It is hunting the people responsible for felling three trees in Hornsey Lane last week, because it is a conservation area and they did it without planning permission.

Pruning branches also requires special consent and residents who use staple guns or pins to attach notices to trunks are breaking the law.

Culture chief Cllr Dhiren Basu said: "We are proud of our record of tree planting and cultivation across Haringey. We won't allow this to be undermined by a few mindless individuals, and we won't hesitate to pursue enforcement action where necessary.