Record number of fly-tipping incidents in Luton last year

Luton faced a record number of fly-tipping incidents last year, new figures show.

Experts called on the Government to review sentencing guidelines, introduce bigger fines and “even jail ‘professional fly-tippers’ when they are caught”.

Figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show there were 9,405 fly-tipping incidents in Luton in the year to March 2023 – an increase of 50 per cent from 6,256 in 2021-22 and the highest figure since records began in 2012-13, equating to 41.4 incidents per 1,000 people.

In Luton, most fly-tipped waste (90 per cent) was discovered on council land. The largest proportion of discarded waste was household waste, making up near three-quarters of all incidents.

In response to the figures, Luton Borough Council’s spokesperson said: “Fly-tipping is an illegal activity that sadly continues to blight Luton and many authorities throughout the country. We know the overwhelming majority of residents in the town, share our disgust at this antisocial behaviour. No amount of littering in our town is acceptable – whether the deliberate dumping of large quantities of waste or discarding smaller items.

“Our determination to catch, identify and hold those who mess up our town to account remains as high as ever. We employ staff that are proactive in identifying and removing fly-tips within Luton and who also search for evidence in order to assist enforcement teams. We have launched a war on waste which has resulted in 21 successful prosecutions for waste related offences and the issue of warrants for environmental crimes to 22 individuals.

"In addition, we have a further 35 cases awaiting a court date for waste related offences. The council has also invested in 12 CCTV cameras in areas where instances of fly-tipping are high in order to deter and identify those who commit this crime. At the same time the size of the fine for fly tipping has increased from £400 to £1,000.”

The council spokesperson continued: “Our uniformed Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement teams work across the whole town alongside our own enforcement teams. They operate seven days a week, and anyone caught dropping litter is issued with an on the spot fine which has recently been increased to £500. If they fail to pay it they could be prosecuted and face a much higher fine imposed by the court as well as potentially receiving a criminal record.

“We have recently had successful prosecutions against those who have been found guilty of fly tipping. All reports of fly tipping are thoroughly investigated by our enforcement teams and where evidence is found linking the rubbish to individuals action will always be taken, including through the courts where necessary.

“We strongly believe that the responsibility lies with all of us to treat our town and its residents with respect. We therefore encourage all residents to report fly tipping so together we can deal with this disrespectful wrongdoing in our town.”

The council has a Wall of Shame – where it posts names of those who have fly tipped and pictures of the waste that was dumped.