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Flytipping

Flytipping is the illegal dumping of waste on any land and is a criminal offence. Those caught fly tipping can be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Every year councils spend a considerable amount of time and money removing this waste from the landscape.

If the fly tipping is on a public highway or public land we will investigate and arrange for the waste to be cleared. We cannot remove waste from privately owned land, as this is the landowner's responsibility.

We will always try to remove flytipping as soon as possible. The site will be investigated for evidence and the appropriate legal action taken.

Reporting flytipping

Report flytipping

Here are a few simple rules for reporting flytipping:

  • Do not remove any evidence found from the fly tipping location, for example, addressed letters
  • Be as specific as possible when describing where the incident has occurred
  • If you see the incident occurring do not approach the persons involved
  • If you see a person/vehicle involved in an environmental crime take as many details as you can, for example, description of the person or vehicle registration
  • You may need to provide a witness statement and/or attend court in subsequent legal action

Who would flytip their waste?

The correct disposal of waste requires time and money. Some individuals and companies try to beat the system by disposing of theirs illegally. Criminal groups can often make large profits from activities such as organising illegal flytipping. This is why it is important that we prosecute those who commit environmental crimes.

Why does it matter if someone dumps a couple of bags of rubbish in a field or on the roadside?

Illegally dumping waste can be very harmful to animals and the environment, and can lead to the pollution of land and water courses. Fly-tipping can also harm human health and be detrimental to the quality of life for the people living around such incidents.

What is the cost of clearing up flytipping?

Flycapture, a government organisation, estimated the cost of clearance and disposal of flytipped waste to local authorities in England was over £74 million, for the 12 months between April 2007 and March 2008. If we can trace the persons responsible for flytipping we can recover our costs and take legal against them.


  • Report an incident of flytipping online

    Report an incident of flytipping in Dorset to your local council with a short online form.

  • Flytipping in Weymouth and Portland

    Weymouth and Portland Borough Council have a rapid response service to tackle flytipping on public land within the borough. Members of the public can now contact us to report any incidents of fly-tipping on public land, the council will respond within 24 hours.

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