Five alleged fly-tippers have been identified as part of a €53,000 clean-up of an illegal dump at Ballyvolane.

City council director of environment services Valerie O’Sullivan said addressed correspondence yielding the names of five people who have potentially dumped at Ellis’s Yard have been found in domestic waste cleared from the site.

The process of pursuing the alleged dumpers through the courts will now begin.

“Five definite names and addresses have been found that we will pursue to conviction stage,” said Ms O’Sullivan.

Contractors Loftus of Cork cleared almost 200,000kg of rubbish and 4,500kg of asbestos from Ellis’s Yard in Ballyvolane — a target of dumping for decades.

Hilary Loftus of the company said the vast majority of rubbish was exposed but city council workers had removed a number of bags of domestic waste with a view to finding clues as to the identity of fly-tippers.

Councillor Thomas Gould (SF) said the site has now been secured after the clean-up operation was completed.

“It is imperative now that Cork City Council ensures that there is no more dumping on the site,” he said.

Several sporting clubs have already expressed an interest in taking over the site but the possibility of social housing and Traveller accommodation on the site is also being considered.

Meanwhile, Ms O’Sullivan confirmed that new bylaws which will allow the local authority to ask residents for proof of how they dispose of their waste have been passed at committee stage and will come before the next full meeting of Cork City Council for approval.

Fines of up to €2500 will be incurred in cases where the resident can't prove they have disposed of it responsibly.

Fixed penalties of €75 will be issued to households that are without waste removal contracts.