New guidance issued by the Government will support councils in seizing and destroying vehicles used in fly-tipping, as latest figures show there were 1.26 million incidents across England last year.
For the first time, comprehensive advice has been published setting out how local authorities should identify, search, seize and dispose of vehicles linked to illegal waste dumping. The guidance also includes advice on building court cases and securing convictions against vehicle owners.
Stronger enforcement measures
The announcement was made by Mary Creagh, Circular Economy Minister, who said the measures would empower councils to “clamp down on waste cowboys” and restore pride in communities.
To increase deterrence, councils are expected to:
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Publicly name and shame offenders on social media
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Share images and footage of seized vehicles being crushed
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Repurpose seized vehicles for use in environmental enforcement work where appropriate
The guidance also encourages the use of overt and covert surveillance methods, including CCTV, drones and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), to catch offenders in the act.
Greater collaboration
Local authorities already have powers to seize vehicles involved in fly-tipping. Government data shows 139 vehicles were seized by enforcement officers from 41 councils in 2024/25.
The new framework urges closer intelligence-sharing between councils, police, the Environment Agency and National Trading Standards to tackle organised waste crime and strengthen prosecutions.
Latest fly-tipping figures
Newly published statistics show local authorities carried out 572,000 enforcement actions in 2024/25 — an 8% increase on the previous year.
This included 69,000 fixed penalty notices, up 9% from 2023/24.
The Government says around £78 billion is being made available to council budgets in England this year through the first multi-year funding settlement in over a decade, helping authorities fund services including environmental enforcement.
Convicted fly-tippers can face substantial fines, community orders or imprisonment. Income from fly-tipping penalties is ring-fenced by councils for cleaning up affected land.
