Steve Reed pledges ‘aggressive’ crackdown to ‘crush’ fly-tippers | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Cars and vans utilized by fly-tippers will likely be crushed as a part of marketing campaign to get “much more aggressive” on cowboy waste operators. Drones and cell CCTV cameras will likely be deployed to determine automobiles to allow them to be destroyed by police and native authorities.

The crackdown, introduced at present by Environment Secretary Steve Reed, follows a rise in fly-tipping incidents from 957,000 reported in 2018-19 to 1.15million in 2023-24. A 3rd of incidents concerned waste dumped on pavements or roads. But there have been simply 1,598 prosecutions over 12 months.

Mr Reed stated: “Waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages have gone unpunished for too long. The Government is calling time on fly-tipping. I will not stand by while this avalanche of rubbish buries our communities.”

Councils presently should bear the numerous value of seizing and storing automobiles however below new plans fly-tippers should pay the charges.

In addition, any criminals caught transporting and coping with waste illegally will now withstand 5 years in jail below new laws.

The Environment Agency will even perform id and felony document checks on operators within the sector so there’s nowhere to cover for rogue companies.

Waste operators would require permits, with the Environment company capable of take away the allow and problem fines if wanted.

Mr Reed instructed reporters at a car-crushing plant in Wokingham, Berkshire: “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.”

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 measures have been backed by waste disposal companies, who stated criminals have been allowed to “run rampant”.

Jacob Hayler, Executive Director of commerce physique the Environmental Services Association, stated: “For too long, criminality has run rampant across the waste sector. These illegal activities threaten the environment; damage communities and undermine legitimate recycling and waste operations. ESA has long campaigned for tighter rules, tougher enforcement and harsher penalties to deter criminals, so we very much welcome today’s reforms and hope that they are put to good use driving criminals out of our sector.

Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy said: “Waste crime is toxic. Criminals’ thoughtless actions harm people, places, and the economy, blighting our communities and disrupting legitimate businesses.”