Spot checks have taken place on more than 35 small garages in Bradford in a crackdown on illegal tyre dumping.

Bradford Council and the Environment Agency teamed up for yesterday's operation.

New EU legislation bans discarded tyres from being dumped at landfill sites. They must be collected by registered waste carriers to be disposed of correctly.

Shredded tyres can be recycled to put towards industrial products, such as new road surfaces and kiln interiors. Traders flouting the rules can face prison or fines of up to £20,000.

Officers checked the paperwork at 37 garages to make sure traders were taking the correct measures and only allowing registered waste carriers to remove their old tyres.

Inspectors found three unlicensed sites. Warning letters will be sent to ten garages who failed either to produce correct documentation or failed to comply with oil storage regulations.

Inspectors will also issue five garages with notices to store tyres correctly on site.

A Council spokesman said: "Many small-scale garages were compliant. Most had made arrangements for proper tyre storage and disposal and most had the correct documentation."

Between July, 2005, and June this year there were 62 cases of illegally dumped tyres in Bradford. Many of those on record were the result of rogue waste carriers being paid by garages to get rid of the tyres.

Sahid Mohammed, owner of Technikar on Peel Park Drive, Undercliffe, Bradford, said it was important for business owners to be aware of the law and stick to the rules.

He produced correct paperwork when called upon during the crackdown. He said: "We do it because of the importance of reputation to customers and, basically, to keep these people off my back! We expect people to come round to check.

"If you have a bit of waste, put it where it belongs. It's just common sense," he said.

Tony Nothers, owner of Tyre Economy on Canal Road, Bradford, also produced the correct paperwork. But he said it was sometimes difficult to keep up with changes in legislation.

He said: "You have to keep on top of it, it's just what we do. It can be a bit awkward, really."

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Con, Ilkley), the Council's executive member for environment and culture, said: "We recognise the traders themselves are not always the ones who dump these tyres but they are responsible for ensuring their waste is disposed of properly and must have the correct documents.

The Environment Agency's team leader for Bradford, Jo Baxter said: "This crackdown will make traders who illegally dispose of their tyres think again. Our message is simple: respect the environment, obey the law and get rid of your rubbish properly."

e-mail: rebecca.wright@bradford.newsquest.co.uk