Fly tippers face punishment of clearing up rubbish

Local authorities in England may soon have new powers to force fly tippers to clean up waste they have dumped and pay fines without having to go through the courts. The proposal, announced on Wednesday, is one of a number of government initiatives to tackle rising waste crime as part of a new action plan expected on Friday. The Environment Agency (EA), which regulates waste, said that it had found 749 new illegal waste sites in 2024-2025, double the year before. Fly tippers could face 20 hours of community service to clean their illegal dumps, and fines up to £300 for the offence. But the Local Government Association said councils must be fully resourced to carry out this new enforcement. "If you dump rubbish on our streets, you will be joining a clean-up squad and picking up the bill, not the taxpayer," said Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds. "The government is handing both the Environment Agency and local authorities the power to boost waste crime enforcement, hand out tougher sentences and tackle illegal dumping faster," she added. The government also recently announced that drivers caught fly tipping could be given penalty points on their licence and the Environment Agency co