Crush fly-tippers' vans, government tells councils

29 April 2025, 20:18 | Updated: 29 April 2025, 23:24

The government wants councils to crush more vans used to fly-tip rubbish, as it announces a crackdown on the illegal dumping of waste.

No new funding is being given to local authorities for the initiatives, with ministers saying the seven percent raise announced in the budget can be used.

As part of the announcement, the government has also proposed that fly-tippers could face up to five years in prison, although this would require a change in the law.

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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.

"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."

He 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."

The minister claimed the fly-tipping was "out of control" under the last government.

Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) shows local authorities in England dealt with a record 1.15 million incidents last year - a 20% increase from 2018/19.

Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy said: "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."

However, the Conservatives claimed that rubbish is "piling high" in areas like Birmingham as refuse workers strike against a pay and jobs offer from the Labour-run council.