Fly-tipping ‘epidemic’ plaguing Britain must be met by harsher penalties

The Liberal Democrats have claimed the government is not “up to scratch” on their appraoch to tackling the fly-tipping “epidemic”.

New polling by the party suggests that over half of adults (51 per cent) have witnessed fly-tipping in their local area.

This rose to 58 per cent in the South-East where they claim the issue is most prevalent.

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader has condemmed the previous Conservative government’s of leaving a “dire legacy” in relation to the “environmental crime” of fly-tipping. He has called on Labour to take a harsher stance on the issue.

He said: “These figures paint a grim picture of our local communities being treated as dumping grounds. It is utterly unacceptable that more than half the country is experiencing this damaging crime on their doorsteps.

“The Conservatives consistently failed to provide the resources and robust enforcement needed to tackle this epidemic. From overflowing bins to piles of hazardous waste, fly-tipping is blighting our landscapes and causing misery for residents.

“The message from the public is resounding: enough is enough. We need a brand-new Fly-Tipping Fighting Fund, which can drive stronger local enforcement and tougher penalties for offenders, so that fines can be funnelled straight back into communities to crack this disgusting issue. Neighbourhoods deserve better than to be left to deal with this mess.”

The Lib Dems are calling for a national “Fly Tipping Fighting Fund” to tackle the crime by increasing fines associated with the crime in a bid to deter perpetrators with Davey saying “enough is enough”.

The polling found that 81 per cent of British adults believe the government should be doing more to prevent fly-tipping and littering. Only one in ten felt the government was doing enough.