London has the highest rate of fly-tipping in the country, new data reveals, at more than twice the English average. The capital saw more than 440,000 fly-tipping incidents in the year 2023-24, with 50 incidents of fly-tipping per every 1,000 residents - more than double the English average of 20 incidents per 1,000 people.
Croydon was the worst-affected borough in England when ranked by total number of incidents, reporting 35,470 incidents in the past year, closely followed by Camden and Hackney with 34,786 incidents and 33,464 incidents respectively. However, neighbouring Islington recorded the fewest fly-tipping incidents in the capital, at just 1,347 instances.
When recorded per 1,000 residents, the City of London was hardest-hit, with 172 incidents per 1,000 residents. In total, English councils dealt with a record 1.15 million incidents of fly-tipping last year. The true figures could be even higher, as the data only includes rubbish dumped on public land.
The sum is an increase of 6% from the 1.08 million the previous year and the highest level in the six years since the current method for reporting was brought in. Some 60% of cases involved household waste, with 688,000 incidents of illegally dumped rubbish from homes, ranging from black bags of waste to the contents of shed clearances, furniture, carpets and DIY.
The most common place for fly-tipping to occur was on pavements and roads, accounting for 37% of incidents. Nearly a third of incidents were the size of a small van load, while 28% were the equivalent of a car boot or less of rubbish. Responding to the figures, Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: "Fly-tipping is a disgraceful act which trashes communities and its increase is unacceptable. Communities and businesses shouldn't have to put up with these crimes.".
He pledged the Government will crack down on fly-tipping and "punish rubbish dumpers, forcing them to clean up their mess". He also said the new Crime and Policing Bill gives ministers the power to issue statutory guidance to councils to drive up fly-tipping enforcement.
But Adam Hug, environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: "Councils are working tirelessly to counter the thousands of incidents every year and are determined to crack down on the problem.". He warned the penalties from prosecution fail to match the severity of the offences committed.
"We continue to urge the Government to review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping so that offenders are given bigger fines for more serious offences to act as a deterrent," he said. "Manufacturers should also contribute to the costs to councils of clear-up, by providing more take-back services so people can hand in sofas, old furniture and mattresses when they buy new ones.".
