𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

There’s a crime that causes misery in communities across the country and costs the nation £1 billion every year. But despite vowing to make criminals pay for the damage they cause, the Government has succeeded in clawing back just £7 million – over a five-year period. It highlights the failure of our institutions to keep us safe from crime, and to make the culprits pay.

The offence in question is illegal waste dumping. It’s not glamorous. There are movies about bank robbers and jewel thieves, but none about fly-tipping. But criminals who dump waste are making a fortune, and ruining our green spaces. That can include sites inside towns and cities, as well as the countryside. Illegal waste sites contain around 22,000 tonnes of dumped waste and are harming an estimated 2,900 families right now, according to the Government.

They cost a fortune to clean up. In fact, work to restore a site in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, has just been completed, and it cost taxpayers £6 million to remove 22,000 tonnes of domestic and commercial rubbish. That’s just one example.

The Environment Agency says illegal waste dumping costs the UK £1 billion every year.

But figures obtained by the BBC showed that the Environment Agency has managed to claim just over £7m from waste criminals using Proceeds of Crime Act (Poca) confiscation orders over the past five years.

It shows that criminals are laughing in the face of the authorities. They have little fear of getting caught or punished.

Labour’s early release scheme is sending exactly the wrong message to criminals of all types. It suggests that society doesn’t really care about their behaviour, and has no interest in punishing them properly.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham appears determined to ensure two men involved in the killing of PC Andrew Harper are not released early. This is very welcome, but should not hide the fact that other criminals are still due to be freed.

But unfortunately, it’s not a new problem. Previous Conservative governments should also have done more to be tough on crime.

The Government has announced plans to get much tougher on organised crime gangs in the waste-dumping business.

It is vowing to seize the cars and houses of gang leaders, and fines for waste offences are set to rise from £300 to £5,000.

Better use of drones, a bigger role for the police and the National Crime Agency, more Environment Agency officers on the frontline, and a steep rise in fines will deter, catch, and punish those who dump illegally – according to Andy Burnham.

We must all hope his promises come true. But so far, it’s the criminals that have the upper hand.