Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. This includes items such as:
- black rubbish bags left on the street on non-collection days
- mattresses
- tyres
- sofas
- 'white goods' (such as fridges and washing machines)
- carpet
- garden waste
- commercial waste such as builder's waste or rubble
Fly-tipping is not the same as littering. Littering usually involves rubbish from eating, drinking and smoking.
How to report fly-tipping
If you report fly-tipping to us we can remove it if it is on:
- public land (such as the seafront, parks or playgrounds)
- roads
- pavements
- cycle lanes
Do not touch the waste or put yourself in danger by confronting the fly-tippers.
When reporting fly-tipping you will need to tell us:
- what the items are
- the size of the fly-tip
- the location of the fly-tip
How we deal with fly-tipping
Our contracted external agency Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement (WISE) investigate both domestic and business fly-tipping.
Where enough evidence is found, officers will trace the offenders and where appropriate, issue them with a fixed penalty notice (fine).
The waste itself will be cleared if it is on public land at the earliest opportunity, and you will only be contacted if we need further details.
How you can help
If you find that you are victim of repeated fly-tipping, the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group suggests a number of prevention measures such as:
- installing barriers
- improving visibility and lighting
- placing appropriate signage
- CCTV
- clearing away waste quickly