Fly-tippers’ vehicles will be seized and crushed as part of a crackdown on illegal dumping as the Government targets “waste cowboys”.
Mobile CCTV cameras and drones will be deployed by councils to identify vehicles being used by suspected perpetrators.
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If found guilty, the court can order permanent seizure and potential destruction of the vehicle.
As part of a scheme being led by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), new legislation would see those found guilty of fly-tipping facing a prison sentence of up to five years.
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Fly-tippers’ vehicles will be seized and crushed as part of a crackdown on illegal dumping
Thurrock council
It comes as fly-tipping incidents in England have reached a record high of 1.15 million in 2023/24.
This represents a six per cent increase from the 1.08 million incidents reported the previous year.
Whilst local authorities already have the powers to destroy vehicles if found to be linked to fly-tipping, it is rarely done, with most of the action last year being undertaken by just two councils.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “Councils will get much more aggressive against fly-tippers and that includes using the latest technology, things like the new mobile CCTV cameras and drones to identify, track and then seize the vehicles that are being used for fly-tipping to a yard like this and crush them.
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“That’s both as a punishment for those people who are dumping the rubbish but also as a deterrent for those who are thinking about doing it.”
Offenders will also have to pay to have their car crushed, so the burden does not fall on taxpayers. Currently, the local authority will typically cover the cost.
Reed added: “We’re also looking to change the law so that those rogue operators who take rubbish from someone’s home and then dump it on a nearby road – they were getting away almost scot-free under the previous government – they will now be looking at potentially five-year prison sentences.”
Paralleling the move, the Environment Agency will be given additional resources to regulate the industry through permits and conduct identity and criminal record checks.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said that ‘councils will get much more aggressive against fly-tippers’
PA
Philip Duffy, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, said: “Waste crime is toxic. Criminals’ thoughtless actions harm people, places, and the economy, blighting our communities and disrupting legitimate businesses.
“We’re determined to bring these criminals to justice through tough enforcement action and prosecutions. That’s why we support the Government’s crackdown on waste criminals, which will ensure we have the right powers to shut rogue operators out of the waste industry.”
It is a criminal offence subject to a penalty of up to £50,000 for large-scale offences or a 12-month prison sentence, or both, on summary conviction. Local authority enforcement officers can issue an FPN of up to £1,000 for small-scale cases.
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