The Environment Agency has announced a £45 million crackdown on fly-tipping, deploying drone squads with laser-mapping technology to track illegal dumping from the air. The agency has trained 33 pilots to capture evidence and bring waste criminals to justice.
Officers will also use a screening tool to cross-check lorry licence applications against waste permit records. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime has been expanded from 13 to 20 specialists, working with law enforcement to tackle organised crime networks.
James Wallace, chief executive of River Action, welcomed the effort but warned that technology alone would not fix the problem. He said the Environment Agency remains chronically underfunded and understaffed, with too few officers to identify offenders and prosecute polluters under existing laws.
Shadow Environment Minister Robbie Moore argued that drones alone would not address the issue, which he said had spiralled under the current government. He called for tougher penalties, including driver penalty points for illegal dumping, and criticised family farm and business taxes that he claimed were piling pressure on rural communities.
Waste crime in the UK has risen in recent years, with high-profile illegal tips including a 150-metre-long dump near the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire and a 30,000-tonne heap in Hoads Wood, Kent. The Environment Agency shut down 751 sites in a record year last year.
Phil Davies, head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, said: “Illegal waste dumping is appalling, and we are determined to turn the tide on this heinous crime. Through the greater use of drones, stronger partnerships and more officers on the ground, we will send a clear message to those committing waste crimes – we will stop you.”
