– Southwark council has announced increases in fly-tipping fines from £400 to £1,000

– Meanwhile the Labour government has announced waste criminals and fly-tippers to have vehicles seized and crushed

– New technology such as drones and mobile CCTV will be used to identify fly-tip vehicles

– Waste criminals face up to five years in prison under new legislation

Southwark council will work with the police to identify, seize and crush vehicles of waste criminals under new plans to crackdown on cowboy waste operators just announced by the Labour Government. 

Drones and mobile CCTV cameras are set to be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers across the country so they can be destroyed. In addition, ministers have launched a rapid review to slash red tape blocking councils from seizing and crushing vehicles.

Councils currently have to bear the significant cost of seizing and storing vehicles but under new plans fly-tippers will cover this cost, saving councils and taxpayers money. 

Criminals caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally will now face up to five years in prison under new legislation.  

This adds to the recent announcement that Southwark will be increasing fines for fly-tipping from £400 to £1,000, to deter criminals.

The council’s FixMyStreet App remains the best place to report fly-tipping so it can be dealt with quickly and effectively. Alternatively residents can visit report.southwark.gov.uk.

Welcoming the news, Labour’s spokesperson for Clean Air, Streets and Waste, Cllr James McAsh, said:

“Our residents have had enough of the criminal dumpers who pollute our neighbourhoods with rubbish – and these new powers will help reinforce our zero-tolerance approach. We recently increased our fines for fly-tipping from £400 to £1,000 to deter this criminal activity, and now Labour’s new powers will help us in the fight against fly-tipping as we continue to make our communities cleaner, greener and safer.”