2,397 prosecutions in bid to beat ‘blight on our communities’

A DEPARTMENT for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: “Flytipping blights communities and poses a risk to human health and the environment.

“It also undermines legitimate waste businesses where unscrupulous operators undercut those operating within the law.

“Local authorities have a range of powers to tackle flytipping. Councils are able to issue on-the-spot fines to flytippers and to stop, search and seize vehicles suspected of being used for fly-tipping.

“Local authorities and the Environment Agency are also able to issue penalties of up to £400 to householders who do not pass their waste to a licensed carrier and whose waste is then found flytipped.

“Local authorities carried out 2,397 prosecutions for flytipping offences in 2018/19 - an increase of 7 per cent on 2017/18; over 96 per cent of prosecutions resulted in convictions.

“The number of fixed penalty notices issued has continued to increase, up 11 per cent to 76,000 from 2017/18.

“Waste crime is becoming more organised, involving networks of career criminals, and tackling this type of illegal activity is more complex.

“The Environment

Agency is responsible for tackling large-scale illegal dumping incidents and is determined to make life hard for criminals by disrupting and stopping illegal activity through tough enforcement action and prosecution.

“We continue to use intelligence to target the most serious crimes.

“The Environment Agency takes enforcement action to bring businesses back into compliance and to prevent and disrupt criminal activity.

“This includes: providing advice and guidance for businesses trying to do the right thing, issuing enforcement notices, and penalising businesses as a last resort.

“Waste companies, local authorities and businesses all have a responsibility to check what happens to their waste.

“Householders can check if a waste carrier is an approved carrier on the Environment Agency website.”