Overview
- Ministers are considering adding driving-licence penalty points for people convicted of fly-tipping, which could ultimately lead to disqualification for repeat offenders.
- Government plans would extend Police and Criminal Evidence Act and Proceeds of Crime Act powers to Environment Agency officers to target organised waste networks.
- New official guidance instructs councils on identifying, seizing and disposing of vehicles used in dumping and provides advice for taking cases to court.
- Proposed legislation would increase criminal penalties, with those illegally transporting or dealing in waste facing up to five years in prison.
- Defra cites 1.26 million fly-tipping incidents in England in 2024–25; authorities report 122 prosecutions and 1,205 illegal sites shut since mid‑2024, with information-sharing with banks under exploration to disrupt offenders’ finances.