The number of Fixed Penalty Notices for fly-tipping in Dorset has increased by more than three-quarters in the last year, according to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Due to the hard work of Dorset Council’s Environmental Enforcement team which has been bolstered by the introduction of a jointly funded Enforcement Officer post by the Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, more people have found out the hard way about the cost of committing waste crime.
Local authorities and the Environment Agency are responsible for investigating and enforcing the laws around fly-tipping and Dorset Council have, since the new post was introduced last April, seen a considerable increase in positive results.
The number of fixed penalty notices issued for waste crime has increased by 78%, there has also been a 11% increase in vehicles linked to waste crime being seized, a 43% jump in fines for commercial waste tips and a 600% increase in fines for household fly-tipping. In total, 53 fines totalling £16,500 have been issued in 2024/25 across the Dorset Council area.
Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, David Sidwick said: “I know how much fly-tipping affects landowners and how the people of Dorset hate to see our countryside being abused in this way and that’s why funding this post has been so important.
“Fighting waste crime criminals requires close partnership working, and I’m immensely proud of the relationship formed between my office and Dorset Council, and between all the members of the Dorset Partnership Against Rural Crime.
“I am delighted with the success of the new joint funded post and happy to say that funding for the post will continue for another year. My thanks goes to Dorset Council and the Environmental Enforcement team for all their hard work.”
Councillor Gill Taylor, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Housing, said: “We are proud to work with the OPCC on tackling fly-tipping, with our officers out every day around Dorset investigating reports and trying to catch the criminals responsible. Fly-tipping is a blight on our county, a drain on taxpayers’ money and we all have a duty to prevent it.
“We will always pursue all avenues to hold offenders to account, so please report fly-tips to us when you spot them and check out www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/scrap for more information on how to make sure you are covered when handing waste to someone else.”
