Fly-tipping cases up almost 10% across England
Councils tackle over a million incidents of illegal dumping.
The number of fly-tipping cases handled by councils in England reached 1.26 million last year, representing a nearly 10% rise from the previous year, according to official figures.
The Environment Department (Defra) reported a 9% increase in fly-tipping incidents for 2024/2025, compared to 1.15 million cases documented in 2023/2024. This is the highest figure since 2018/2019, when new methods for recording were introduced.
Fly-tipping refers to waste illegally disposed of on public land, and private landowners also face costs for removing waste dumped on their property.
According to data from councils, household waste accounted for nearly two-thirds of all cases, totaling 777,000 incidents in 2024/2025. This is a rise from 688,000 incidents that were dealt with the previous year.
Household waste typically includes rubbish such as black bags, old furniture, carpets, and items from loft and shed clearances.
The figures come after a huge illegal rubbish dump, stretching over 100 metres long, 20 metres wide, and 10 metres high, was been discovered in late 2025 in a field beside the River Cherwell near Kidlington in Oxfordshire.
Incidents up, but fines down
Fly-tipping most commonly occurs on pavements and roads, accounting for more than a third of cases (37%), according to the figures, and almost a third of incidents (31%) were the size of a small van load, while 27% were the equivalent to a car boot or less.
But 52,000 cases involved an amount of rubbish that was equivalent to a tipper lorry load or more, with these larger cases costing English councils £19.3 million to clear up last year.
In addition to the figures from local authorities, the Environment Agency dealt with 98 incidents of large-scale illegal dumping in 2024/2025, Defra said.
The number of enforcement actions by councils was up 8% in 2024/2025 to 572,000 while the number of fixed penalty notices issued was also up 9% to 69,000.
But the total number of court fines was down 9% to 1,250 and the combined value of the fines also decreased from £730,000 the previous year to £673,000 in 2024/2025, the figures show, although average fines increased slightly.
As the figures were announced, Defra published new guidance to help councils seize and crush more vehicles used for fly-tipping, or repurpose them for clean-up operations, along with advice on how to take cases to court.
Councils are also being urged to name and shame fly-tippers on social media.
What do Defra say?
Defra Minister Mary Creagh said: "We are empowering local authorities to clamp down on waste cowboys and restore pride in our local areas.
"I share the public's fury at seeing our streets, parks and fields used as dumping grounds.
"Fly-tippers should know - if you use your van to trash our countryside, don't be surprised when it ends up on the scrapheap.
She added: "This Government is investing in cutting-edge technology and boosting Environment Agency funding to put more waste crime officers on the ground, while introducing tougher checks and penalties for those who break the law."