A secret surveillance operation designed to catch fly-tippers came unstuck when council workers accidentally threw the camera in a rubbish bin.
Chichester District Council's depot was sent to pick up dumped material, after an incident had been identified.
"Because the camera had been hidden in something that looked like rubbish, they cleared that away as well," Cllr John Cherry, portfolio
holder for resources, said.
The mishap was revealed at a council meeting where members were also told the number of secret surveillance operations carried out by Chichester District Council has been dropping, and totalled only 11 last year.
Cllr Cherry told the council that in the last three years the authority had averaged 14 requests a year for surveillance.
Three areas were covered - fly-tippers, rogue traders, and those defrauding the council tax or benefits system.
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The full article contains 208 words and appears in OS-Midhurst Observer newspaper.
