Bags of rotting rubbish, broken furniture, computers and fridges litter the streets.

The Argus today publishes just a few examples of the thousands of items fly-tipped in Brighton and Hove each year by unscrupulous entrepreneurs.

Medical experts have warned hazardous waste poses a growing threat to the public, which is paying more than £50,000 a year to have fly-tipped rubbish removed.

Brighton and Hove City Council revealed yesterday more than 60 incidents of illegal fly-tipping were recorded in a routine check covering a small number of streets in just one day.

Operation Scrap-It, a joint campaign involving the council and Sussex Police, discovered dozens of bags of dumped rubbish, unlicensed or unsafe skips and two fridges in a small area of the city.

Officers also found nine abandoned cars and one stolen vehicle in the Wish and Westbourne wards of Hove on October 18. The blitz took place in the same week The Argus reported that illegal fly- tipping happened somewhere in Sussex every 42 minutes at a cost of almost £1 a minute for councils to clear up.

Brian Oxley, Conservative councillor for the Westbourne ward, said black sacks were the top of the tip list. But he had also seen sofas and other furniture dumped in the street.

Coun Oxley said the worst area in his ward for fly-tipping was the corner of Portland Road and Reynolds Road.

He said: "I'm pleased the blitz has been as effective as it has been and it sends a message that this behaviour is not tolerated."

A resident of Reynolds Road, in the Westbourne area of Hove, said: "There are problems every week. It's not just plastic bags but televisions, broken vacuum cleaners, mattresses.

"It has been going on for years and this area is used as a dumping ground by everyone."

Last year, Brighton and Hove taxpayers spent £51,376 clearing up 1,321 fly-tipping incidents.

As of last week, the council has the power to recover clearing-up costs from offenders.

A council spokeswoman said: "The outskirts of the city have much lower incidences of dumped rubbish. No one particular street or road was responsible this time.

"Operation Scrap-It was primarily set up to deal with abandoned and untaxed vehicles but over the past 18 months it has taken in waste so people come home to clean streets.

"Because the police are involved, instant action can be taken if we suspect someone is in the process of fly-tipping."

To report an abandoned vehicle, call 01273 292929 or email abandoned.vehicles@brighton-hove.gov.uk