Fly-tipping surges as gangs dump huge waste loads across England

Waste crime 'running out of control' as illegal dumps spread

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Large-scale fly-tipping incidents across England have surged in recent years, prompting warnings that waste crime risks "running out of control".

Official figures show councils recorded 52,000 fly-tipping incidents larger than a tipper-lorry load in England during the last financial year (2024-25).

The figures, published by Defra in its ENV24 statistics, compare with 31,000 incidents recorded in the year before the Covid pandemic.

Defra has previously said the increase may partly reflect improved reporting and recording by local authorities.

But campaigners say organised criminal gangs are increasingly behind major dumping operations.