Fly Tipping

Fly-tipping is the common term used to describe waste being illegally dumped instead of being disposed of properly at a landfill site or tip.  Common types of fly-tipped waste are:-

• Household waste
• Large domestic items such as fridges and mattresses
• Garden waste
• Commercial waste such as builders rubble, tyres and clinical waste

Local authorities in England dealt with over 700,00 incidents of flytipping in 2012/13, costing taxpayers over £36 million to remove.

Flytipping is:

• Illegal - and clearing it up costs taxpayers' money
• Unsightly - flytipping is a sign of a neglected neighbourhood and is associated with increased levels of crime and fear of crime.  It also discourages investment and new businesses from moving into the area.
• Unsafe - dumped waste can consist of dangerous items such as syringes, asbestos and toxic waste.  It can also attract rats, flies and other disease carrying pests

It is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to flytip any material, it carries a fine upon conviction of up to £50,000 or one year imprisonment.

Fly-tipping is often associated with dumping waste from vehicles. In this case, the person controlling the use of the vehicle, normally the registered keeper, can also be prosecuted. This means that it is possible for a prosecution to occur when only the vehicle, not the driver, is identifiable

Flytippers are doing something illegal, they don't want to get caught.

• Do not approach them.
• Do not go near the rubbish until you are sure it is safe.
• Do not touch anything.

If you spot someone flytipping, make a note of the following and contact us with details of:-

• the date, time and place where it happened
• what the waste looks like and how much there is
• a description of any vehicles involved and vehicle registration numbers if possible
• a description of the person dumping the waste:  height, age, male/female

Open cases in our area

Use the map below to see the current reports of fly-tipping in our area. Click on the map to make a new report or use our report fly tipping form.