Local authorities are being urged to seize and destroy vehicles used by fly-tippers, as new government guidance aims to arm councils with tougher powers to tackle the estimated 1.26 million incidents of illegal dumping recorded last year.
The guidance, published today (25th Feb), provides councils with the first comprehensive framework for identifying, seizing, and disposing of vehicles involved in waste crime. It also offers advice on taking cases to court and securing convictions against vehicle owners.
To boost deterrence, councils are expected to name and shame offenders on social media, sharing images and videos of their vehicles being crushed. The guidance even suggests repurposing seized vehicles for use in cleaning up other fly-tipping incidents.
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said the measures would help restore pride in local areas. ‘Fly-tippers should know – if you use your van to trash our countryside, don’t be surprised when it ends up on the scrapheap,’she warned.
Councils are also encouraged to deploy overt and covert surveillance techniques, including CCTV, drones, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition, to catch criminals in the act. Intelligence-sharing with police, the Environment Agency, and National Trading Standards is expected to strengthen cases and enable joint operations.
Figures released alongside the guidance show that enforcement officers from 41 councils seized 139 vehicles in 2024/25. New case studies demonstrating successful seizure operations will now serve as models for other authorities.
The announcement follows publication of fly-tipping statistics showing local authorities carried out 572,000 enforcement actions in 2024/25—an increase of 8% from the previous year. Fixed penalty notices rose by 9% to 69,000.
The government has made approximately £78 billion available to council budgets in England this year under the first multi-year funding settlement in over a decade, supporting key responsibilities including fly-tipping enforcement.
Convicted fly-tippers face significant fines, community sentences, or imprisonment. Money raised from penalties is ring-fenced by councils to clean up land affected by waste dumping.
The measures form part of the government’s Plan for Change, aimed at restoring local pride and supporting national renewal through tougher action on environmental crime.
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