Fly-tippers to be forced to join 'clean-up squads' - and made to 'pick up the bill'

Fly-tippers in England could be forced to carry out unpaid clean-ups of streets, parks and dumping hotspots under new plans announced by the government.

So-called "clean-up squads" will see fly-tippers given conditional cautions by local authorities, making them clear up waste for up to 20 hours.

Currently, fly-tippers are only punished after conviction, often after lengthy court proceedings.

The government hopes this plan will speed up enforcement.

The measure is part of a major 10-point plan being unveiled by the Environment Agency on Friday, aimed at tackling both low-level fly-tipping and large-scale organised illegal waste crime.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: "If you dump rubbish on our streets, you will be joining a clean-up squad and picking up the bill, not the taxpayer.

"We are clamping down on these criminals, making sure those responsible clean up and pay up. This government is handing both the Environment Agency and local authorities the power to boost waste crime enforcement, hand out tougher sentences and tackle illegal dumping faster."

The government says there has been an 8% increase in enforcement action against fly-tippers, with local authorities carrying out 572,000 actions in 2024/25.

Nature Minister Mary Creagh says the cautions will not replace current court powers or the ability of councils to seize vehicles.

"At the moment, courts and local authorities do have a range of powers, but they tend to take too long," she said.

"Local authorities are reluctant to prosecute because often the costs of prosecution can take longer and there can be very little consequence at the end of it, so this is a new penalty.

"As part of our manifesto, we promised that we'd bring in clean-up squads, so this is about forcing the people who are dumping on our streets, spoiling our landscapes, leaving landowners to pick up the costs to get a caution and to actually clean up the sites that they have actually despoiled."

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The minister said the Environment Agency has not previously had the funding to pursue big, organised crime groups.

The EA's enforcement budget for 2025/26 has been increased to £15.6m - but many still feel it is not enough to tackle the rapidly growing problem.

It's hoped the new clean-up squad measures will be introduced at the start of 2027.

The Local Government Association, which represents town halls, has called on the government and Sentencing Council to urgently review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping, saying court fines are lower on average than penalties handed out directly by local authorities.

Arooj Shah, chair of the LGA's neighbourhoods committee, said: "Sentencing guidelines must be reviewed so punishments properly reflect the seriousness of the offence and the harm it causes to communities."

(c) Sky News 2026: Fly-tippers to be forced to join 'clean-up squads' - and made to 'pick up the bill'