Home / Environment / Rubbish investigators reveal secrets to cracking fly-tipping cases
Rubbish investigators reveal secrets to cracking fly-tipping cases
25 Feb
Summary
- Council prosecutes one fly-tipping case weekly, vowing to pursue offenders.
- Illegal dumps on private land are difficult to clear and lengthy to investigate.
- Waste crime costs the UK over £1 billion annually, with many sites remaining active.
A dedicated council team in South Gloucestershire is actively prosecuting one case of illegal rubbish dumping each week. Councillor Sean Rhodes stated their 'enviro-crime squad' meticulously gathers evidence to ensure prosecutions. This rigorous approach aims to minimize fly-tipping incidents within the area.
Investigating waste dumped on private land, however, proves significantly more challenging. One illegal dump near Gloucester has been under investigation for seven years, frustrating local residents. These sites are often vast and difficult to access, with perpetrators hard to identify.
Specialist investigators, like Bob Evely, sift through discarded waste for crucial clues such as names, addresses, and vehicle details. Their efforts can lead to successful prosecutions, even for those who paid unregistered operators to dispose of their waste. This highlights the importance of verifying waste disposal services.
Nationally, waste crime incurs over £1 billion in costs for the UK. The Environment Agency reported closing 743 illegal waste sites in 2025, but 517 remained active. The complexities of identifying landowners and perpetrators on private property, as seen with a multi-acre site near Gloucester, underscore the scale of the problem.
