Fly-tippers to be hunted by โdrone squadโ in crackdown from the sky | Politics | News
Illegal waste dumped in Oxfordshire, near the River Cherwell (Image: Getty)
“Drone squads” with laser-mapping technology will track illegal fly-tipping from the air, ministers have announced. The Environment Agency said the 33 trained pilots will aim to capture more evidence of illegal dumping and ultimately bring waste criminals to justice.
The watchdog’s officers will also use a screening tool to scan and cross-check lorry licence applications against waste permit records. James Wallace, chief executive of River Action, said: โAny effort to clamp down on illegal waste dumping is welcome, especially where it threatens rivers and waterways. But technology alone wonโt fix this.
“The Environment Agency remains chronically underfunded and understaffed, with too few officers to identify offenders and prosecute polluters under existing laws.
โMinisters have known for years about large-scale illegal dumping, including sites run by organised criminal gangs, yet enforcement has failed to keep pace.
“If Government is serious about tackling waste crime and protecting our rivers, it must go beyond gathering intelligence and data and take decisive action by properly funding enforcement, prosecuting offenders, and shutting these operations down.
“That means tackling criminal gangs head-on and using the full force of the law, not allowing them to continue operating with impunity.โ
Read more: Brazen flytippers shift mountains of waste onto King Charles’s royal estate
But the Tories warned that the use of drones would not be enough to get a grip on the issue.
Shadow Environment Minister Robbie Moore said: โWhilst we welcome any effort to clamp down on illegal waste dumping, drones alone wonโt fix a problem that has spiralled on this Governmentโs watch.
โIf Labour were serious about tackling fly-tipping, they would have backed the Conservative amendment to give drivers penalty points for illegal dumping. Real deterrents matter and criminals wonโt be stopped by gadgets if the consequences remain weak.
โAnd if Ministers truly cared about the rural communities most affected, they would reverse the damaging family farm and business taxes that are piling pressure on those already clearing up this mess.
โOnly the Conservatives will deliver tough penalties, back rural Britain and take decisive action against petty and organised waste crime.โ
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The Environment Agency said it has increased the Joint Unit for Waste Crime from 13 to 20 specialists, who are working with law enforcement to tackle organised crime networks.
Waste crime in the UK has risen in recent years, with high-profile illegal tips provoking public outrage, including the 150-metre-long dump near the River Cherwell, in Oxfordshire, and a 30,000-tonne heap in the protected area of Hoads Wood, Kent.
Figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws by the BBC found some 517 waste tips were operating at the end of last year, including 11 โsuper sitesโ.
But the Environment Agency has also ramped up action to tackle the problem, saying it shut down 751 sites in a record year last year.
Phil Davies, head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime at the Environment Agency, said: โIllegal waste dumping is appalling, and we are determined to turn the tide on this heinous crime.
โWith organised criminals becoming ever more sophisticated, we are adopting new technologies to find and, importantly, stop them.
โThrough the greater use of drones, stronger partnerships and more officers on the ground, we will build on our action so far and send a clear message to those committing waste crimes โ we will stop you.โ
