Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish or bulky items on land where it shouldn't be left. It pollutes land and waterways. It costs the taxpayer significant amounts of money to clear away. 

We take reports of fly-tipping very seriously and aim to prosecute the people responsible. It is a criminal offence that carries an unlimited fine and a potential prison sentence. 

It is also an offence to allow fly-tipping. Householders have a duty of care to make sure their waste is disposed of correctly. Failure to do so could lead to a Fixed Penalty of £400. 

On this page:

• Report fly-tipping
• Householders' Duty of Care

Report fly-tipping

You can help us by:

• reporting all fly-tipping. Make a note of its exact location, the day, date and time you saw it
• not touching or distrubing fly-tipped waste you discover. Fly-tipped waste can be dangerous - it might include syringes, broken glass, asbestos, toxic chemicals or other dangerous items. It may also contain evidence that could help find those responsible and lead to prosecution.

If you see someone fly-tipping, please also make a note of:

• the day, date and time it happened
• how many people were involved, a description of them and what they were doing
• any vehicles involved - make, colour, registration number
• what kind of view you had and how far away you were
• weather and lighting conditions
• number of items dumped and what the rubbish looked like

Please report fly-tipping by completing our online form. 

Householders' Duty of Care

You must take reasonable measures to ensure that household waste produced on your property is passed on to an authorised person. If you don't, and the waste is fly-tipped, you will be responsible and could be fined £400. 

You can take all household waste to your local Household Recycling Centre for free. We can also collect some bulky items from your home.

If you employ a third party to take your waste, you need to check they have a registered waste carrier license.

Help protect yourself from rogue waste collectors by following the SCRAP code:

• Suspect all waste carriers
• Check that the provider taking your waste away is licensed through the Register of Waste Carriers
• Refuse unexpected offers to have waste taken away
• Ask what will happen to your waste
• Paperwork - get a receipt with contact details for the carrier you used and what they took away.