Officials in Amsterdam have handed out 2,411 fines to people caught dumping rubbish next to bins since July 14, the Parool reported on Thursday.

The city stepped up its efforts to stop people leaving empty boxes and bin bags next to underground containers following a surge in dumping at the start of the coronacrisis.

The council has taken on 14 officials to patrol notorious waste black spots and go through the rubbish looking for addresses, or anything which could indicate who has left the waste behind. Dumpers face a fine of €95.

‘Street wardens are writing out €1,000 in fines a day at times, so they are cost effective,’ alderman Laurens Ivens, who is responsible for waste collection said.

Much of the dumping is down to laziness, because containers still have room in all but 4% of cases, he said. The problem is particularly acute in the city’s Zuid, West and Centrum districts.