Defra issues guidance for councils for first time on how to seize and crush vehicles used for fly-tipping

Defra said the new guidance, Vehicle Seizure Powers – Local Authority Guidance, will provide “the first comprehensive overview for councils, offering clear instructions on identifying, seizing, and disposing of vehicles involved in fly-tipping, as well as advice on taking cases to court and securing convictions against vehicle owners”.

The Department added: “To strengthen deterrence, councils are expected to name and shame those involved on social media, while also sharing images and videos of their vehicles being crushed.

“The guidance offers suggestions for maximising engagement and awareness of council enforcement on social media, including repurposing seized vehicles for use to clean up other incidents of fly-tipping.”

Overt and covert surveillance techniques, such as CCTV, drones and Automatic Number Plate Recognition should be deployed to catch criminals, Defra said.

The guidance also calls on local authorities to share intelligence with the police, the Environment Agency and National Trading Standards to build cases and run joint operations.

Circular Economy Minister, Mary Creagh said: “We are empowering local authorities to clamp down on waste cowboys and restore pride in our local areas.

“I share the public’s fury at seeing our streets, parks and fields used as dumping grounds. Fly-tippers should know – if you use your van to trash our countryside, don’t be surprised when it ends up on the scrapheap.

“This government is investing in cutting-edge technology and boosting Environment Agency funding to put more waste crime officers on the ground, while introducing tougher checks and penalties for those who break the law.”

According to data published today, 139 vehicles were seized by enforcement officers from 41 councils in 2024/25.

Case studies of councils seizing vehicles as part of enforcement activity against fly-tipping and organised waste crime have also been published.

New statistics on fly-tipping incidents across England show that local authorities carried out 572,000 enforcement actions in 2024/25, an increase of 8% from 530,000 in 2023/24.

These actions included issuing fixed penalty notices, 69,000 of which were issued in 2024/25 – an increase of 9% from 63,000 in 2023/24.