What is fly tipping?
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste and is a crime.
All kinds of waste are fly-tipped. Household waste is the most
common type of fly-tipped waste. Other wastes that are fly-tipped
include appliances like fridges and washing machines, waste from
building and demolition work, animal carcasses, vehicle parts and
tyres. Hazardous wastes such as oil, asbestos sheeting and
chemicals are also dumped illegally.
Fly-tipping can be dangerous, pollute land and waterways and
costs the tax payer significant amounts of money to clear away.
Nationally, fly-tipping costs around £150m a year to deal
with.
What happens if you are caught fly tipping?
Dumping illegally is a serious criminal offence which carries a
fine of up to £50,000 (unlimited if the case goes to the Crown
Court). You could also face a prison sentence of up to five years
for fly-tipping.
Local councils treat fly-tipping very seriously and will usually
prosecute anyone caught fly-tipping waste.
You could also face the same penalties if:
- you allow someone to fly-tip on your land; or
- a vehicle that is registered to you is used to fly-tip.
You could face penalties up to £5,000 for:
- failing to check that the company or person you give waste to
has a licence to carry waste; or
- failing to check whether the company or person you give waste
to is taking it to a licensed site.
What can the local council do about fly tipping?
Enforcement officers carry out investigations to find the
person(s) responsible for fly tipping.
We also operate a
Bulky Waste Collection Service. You can book a bulky waste
collection by ringing 443 2400.
We encourage owners of land to protect themselves by preventing
access to their land wherever possible. The Street Cleansing Team
completes the cleanup of any fly-tipped
items.
How can I report fly tipping?
Please call 0151 443 2400 to report that you
have either witnessed someone fly-tipping or to request that the
tip be removed.
The Environment
Agency (EA) also investigates fly-tipping cases. They deal with
larger incidents such as dumping of hazardous waste or large
amounts of industrial waste and in particular where pollution is
caused to watercourses. They can be contacted on their 24 hour
number which is free phone 0800 80 70 60.