SCAFFOLDERS Robert and Mark Foxworthy illegally dumped waste in a Swindon street only to find themselves featuring on national television.

The brothers were attempting to get rid of bags of bricklayers' rubbish and gone-off concrete that had been left by someone in the gateway to their yard.

But when they were in turn attempting to offload it elsewhere, they were trapped by hidden cameras.

Now they have been fined £200 each and ordered to pay more than £290 each in costs.

The offence, screened recently on ITV's Rat Trap documentary, illustrates the problem of illegal fly tipping in streets and verges in and around Swindon.

The cost to Swindon Council of clearing rubbish deliberately dumped in the town runs to tens of thousands of pounds every year.

It costs up to £500 every time workmen are sent out to clear rubbish, and proposed charges for the removal of bulky waste at council tips may add to the problem. Dorcan, Liden and Eldene are among areas constantly targeted by flytippers, leading to the councilor for the area Pete Brown to launch a campaign against the problem.

The Foxworthy brothers were caught after programme-makers Granada decided to install hidden cameras in Brindley Close, Cheney Manor one of the problem areas for fly-tipping in Swindon.

They were seen throwing eight bags of waste in the cul-de-sac from the back of their lorry, just 30 metres from their yard.

The whole episode took just 25 seconds, but it landed them in court after viewers to the programme recognised their vehicle and called in.

The trap was carried out with co-operation from the Environment Agency, which wants to clamp down on illegal fly-tipping.

Chairman of the bench Ann Cleverley told the brothers: "This is a very serious activity and it has to be stopped."

The court heard the pair were filmed in action on October 7, 2000. The programme was screened in January and the subsequent prosecution had led to yesterday's appearance at Swindon Magistrates Court.

Defending, Martin Guyll-Wiggins said both Foxworthys, Robert, 36, of Eldene and Mark, 32, of Norcliffe Road, Swindon, accepted what they did was wrong.

After the hearing Robert Foxworthy said: "I think this was out of order. It was not even our rubbish what did we have to do, phone up the council?"

Environment protection officer David Rounding said: "The agency is very grateful to Granada TV and the viewers of the Rat Trap programme for calling in and identifying the dumpers.

"By working together like this we massively increase our ability to bring these cases to the court.

"The message is if you are thinking of dumping your waste illegally, don't, the odds are more and more that you will be caught and prosecuted."

He declined to comment whether or not covert cameras were still in operation in and around Swindon.