Fly-tipping is the illegal practice of dumping unwanted items in the environment. If someone is caught fly-tipping, or if waste from their premises is found fly-tipped they can be fined up to £50,000 or face possible imprisonment.

Fly-tipping varies in size, but normally applies to a refuse sack size amount of rubbish or more. It can include anything from a single mattress to several truckloads of demolition, construction or excavation waste. Some illegal dumps, whilst small in size, can be serious, particularly if hazardous waste is involved.

There are many reasons why fly-tipping occurs. In some case it is just ignorance and lack of awareness of the responsibilities of proper waste disposal. However, there is evidence that a lot of fly-tipping is organised by professional criminals who can gain significant financial rewards.

Preston City Council is responsible for the clearing of fly-tipped materials from the highway and public land. If fly-tipping occurs on private land it is the responsibility of the landowner to remove it.

If you see anyone fly-tipping in Preston, try to make a note of where and when you saw the incident, vehicle type and registration number and what waste was tipped. Report it to us on 01772 906909 or fill out the form below.

Larger scale incidences of fly-tipping should be reported to the Environment Agency on 0800 807 060.

Date Updated: 06/05/09