Fly-tippers’ vehicles to be crushed in new government guidance

The guidance, published by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, comes as new figures reveal there were 1.26 million fly-tipping incidents last year.

For the first time, councils are being given comprehensive instructions on how to search, seize and dispose of vehicles involved in illegal dumping – and how to pursue owners through the courts to secure convictions.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said the move would send a clear warning to offenders.

“We are empowering local authorities to clamp down on waste cowboys and restore pride in our local areas,” she said.

“I share the public’s fury at seeing our streets, parks and fields used as dumping grounds.

“Fly-tippers should know – if you use your van to trash our countryside, don’t be surprised when it ends up on the scrapheap.”

The guidance encourages councils not only to seize vehicles but also to publicise enforcement action by “naming and shaming” offenders on social media. Authorities are advised to share images and videos of crushed vehicles to maximise deterrence and community awareness.

Overt and covert surveillance techniques – including CCTV, drones and Automatic Number Plate Recognition – are also recommended to catch criminals in the act.

Although councils already have powers to seize vehicles, new case studies are intended to provide a clearer model for enforcement. In 2024/25, enforcement officers from 41 councils seized 139 vehicles linked to fly-tipping.

The Government is also urging councils to share intelligence with the police, the Environment Agency and National Trading Standards to build stronger cases and carry out joint operations.

Latest data show local authorities carried out 572,000 enforcement actions in 2024/25 – up 8% on the previous year. This included 69,000 fixed penalty notices, a 9% increase year-on-year.

Ministers say they are backing the crackdown with additional resources, including a more than 50% increase in the Environment Agency’s enforcement budget to £15.6 million and extra officers for the Joint Unit for Waste Crime.

One high-profile case highlighted in the guidance involved the London Borough of Croydon, where repeat offender George Smith was jailed for 52 weeks after multiple fly-tipping incidents across London and Surrey. Three of his vehicles were seized and destroyed, and CCTV footage of his activities was released publicly to underline the consequences of waste crime.

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What is fly-tipping?

Fly-tipping – the illegal dumping of waste on land or in water – is a specific form of waste crime, often driven by attempts to avoid legitimate disposal costs. Convicted offenders can face unlimited fines, community sentences or imprisonment, with courts able to order cost recovery for affected landowners.

While councils are responsible for clearing waste from public land, ministers are urging landowners to secure private land and report incidents promptly.

The Government has said it does not generally compensate victims of non-violent crime, warning that compensation could create a “perverse incentive” for further dumping.

Alongside tougher enforcement, ministers are consulting on reforms to the waste carrier regime and introducing mandatory digital waste tracking to make it harder for rogue operators to operate undetected.

With over a million incidents recorded in a single year, ministers say the message is clear: use your vehicle to dump waste illegally, and you risk losing it for good.