NEW RESEARCH SHOWS TRUE EXTENT OF FLY-TIPPING: 75,000 INCIDENTS A MONTH

Rubbish is illegally dumped somewhere in England every 35 seconds, according to new figures released today which show the true extent of the menace of fly-tipping.

Not only is this spoiling the local environment, but it is also costing authorities almost £100 a minute to clear up.

The new information comes from Flycapture, a national fly-tippingm database set up by Defra, the Environment Agency and the Local Government Association (LGA) in 2004. Local authorities and the Environment Agency record details of all fly-tipping incidents that they deal with on Flycapture.

For the first time, the database has enabled Government to compile a comprehensive national picture of the true extent of fly-tipping to help focus resources, target hotspots and identify trends.

Speaking at a joint Defra, Environment Agency and LGA fly-tipping conference today, Environment Minister Elliot Morley explained how the information will be used to help authorities focus their efforts on enforcing against fly-tipping and preventing future incidents, rather than just concentrating on expensive clearance.

"Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime that will not be tolerated. We recognised it was an increasing problem but fortunately, with the kind of information we now have on Flycapture, we can see what is being dumped, where it is being dumped, how often and how much it is costing local authorities to clear up.

"We can then use that to target our resources more effectively, improve our intelligence on the ground, and help track fly-tippers both within, and between, counties as part of our commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour."

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency explained how Flycapture contains information on incidents dealt with, actions taken and a vehicle registration hot-list that encourages joint working between authorities.

"Flycapture shows what we have been saying for some time now, that fly-tipping is a big problem that affects a lot of people. The figures show that every day there are 40 incidents involving multiple lorry-loads of waste being illegally dumped.

"However, Flycapture is not simply a database for keeping records, it is an enforcement tool that will, and already is, helping us and Local Authorities to target and catch these criminals that have no regard for our health and environment. Using this information we will work together with local authorities on a targeted crackdown in problem areas to beat this problem.

Last year Flycapture helped the Environment Agency and local authorities in London catch, confiscate and crush two trucks responsible for at least 27 separate incidents of fly-tipping at a number of different sites across the capital, costing council tax payers thousands of pounds in clear up costs.

Joint working operations using the vehicle hot-list have already been successful too, encouraging effective link-up between the police, Vehicle and Operations Service Agency (VOSA) and authorities.

Indeed, Flycapture will be invaluable to local authorities in their quest to reduce the number of smaller incidents of fly-tipping from fridges and sofas to household waste.

Mr Morley added: "Almost 250,000 black bags are left somewhere they shouldn't be every year, and each one costs £40 to clear away. That's about £10m that local authorities could be spending on preventing fly-tipping, and improving their neighbourhoods in general.

"But it's not just the monetary cost, it's the environmental damage that any discarded rubbish can cause, as well as the loss of community pride.

"The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill currently being debated in Parliament will go a long way to help combat fly-tipping, through stiffer penalties and by extending the powers of local authorities and the Environment Agency to deal with offenders.

"While the Bill sets out the powers, Flycapture outlines the size of the problem. The next step is therefore to take the action to deter potential offenders and focus on preventing fly-tipping. This will help restore pride in our communities and the environment in which we live  

Top Flycapture facts

* Someone fly-tips in England and Wales every 35 seconds - that equates to over 70,000 incidents a month

* The most common fly-tip is a black bag of household rubbish at the side of a main road

* Fly-tipping costs £100 a minute to clear up

* Every day there are 40 incidents involving multiple lorry-loads (being illegally dumped)

* Almost 28,000 fridges, freezers, and washing machines were fly-tipped between July and December 2004

* In the last 6 months of 2004 local authorities alone spent around £24 million clearing fly-tipping

Top five most frequently fly-tipped items:

1. Household rubbish

2. White goods such as fridges, freezers and kitchens

3. Construction, demolition and home improvement rubbish

4. Garden rubbish

5. Rubbish from businesses

Fly-tippers' top 5 favourite spots to tip:

1. Roadside

2. Council land such as housing estates, car parks, parks and open spaces

3. Back alleyways

4. Country paths

5. Private sites including private land and industrial sites

Frequently Asked Questions:

If I am having building or home improvement work done at home, how can I make sure it is disposed of correctly?

* If you are using the services of builders, plumbers or electricians ask them where they will be disposing of your waste.

* Ensure the person removing your building waste is a registered carrier; ask for evidence they are a registered carrier. If you are unsure you can check with the Environment Agency. Ask your builder where he will take your waste.

* In case they do fly-tip your waste and it is traced back to you - keep a note of their name, telephone number and vehicle registration number so you can pass this on to the enforcing authorities.

How do I know waste is being fly-tipped?

* Fly-tipping happens at all hours of the day and night so you may witness it at any time. Suspicious activities include vehicles laden with rubbish driving down narrow track lanes.

What do I do if I see an incident?

* If you see someone fly-tipping try to take note of:

a) When and where it is happening

b) Registration of the vehicle

c) Description the vehicle: what colour is it? Is there anything special about it? Does it have an insignia / contact numbers?

d) What sort of rubbish is being dumped?

Then call your local council who will normally deal with it - don't try and tackle the fly-tipper yourself

Notes

1. This data has been collated through Flycapture, a national fly-tipping database developed by Defra and the Environment Agency, into which the vast majority of local authorities have been regularly submitting data for the past six months.

It contains summary information on incidents dealt with, actions taken and a vehicle registration hot-list that encourages joint working between authorities.

Graphs and data are available on the Defra website:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/flytipping

Every waste collection authority in England has now registered on Flycapture, with 88% now regularly submitting data. Welsh local authorities also submit data to Flycapture and Scottish authorities have recently joined to submit data on a voluntary basis.

2. Flycapture is still a relatively new database with the number of returns increasing month on month. As local authorities improve the collation of the data it looks likely that the numbers of incidents reported will increase.

Local authorities also enter information on the actions taken to deal with fly-tipping. Flycapture is not intended to be a total picture of all fly-tipping as it does not currently collect data in relation to incidents dealt with by private landowners or other organisations.

3. Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime and proposals in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill will, if adopted, raise the maximum penalty in a Magistrates' Court to £50,000 to reflect the seriousness of large scale illegal dumping. The Bill introduces additional powers to allow authorities to stop, search and seize mvehicles involved in fly-tipping. The Bill received its Third Reading in the House of Commons on Monday, 21 February, and its First Rreading in the House of Lords the following day.

4. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 has gone some way to making it easier for local authorities to obtain the necessary evidence to prosecute by extending their investigation powers and enabling them to stop, search and seize vehicles suspected of fly-tipping.

Public enquiries 08459 335577;

(4/3/05)