Anti-social behaviour helper

Summary of the problem

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish or bulky items without permission or on land not licensed to receive it. Dumping rubbish makes an area look run down, which encourages others to dump more rubbish.

Those dumping waste where it is not permitted can face very large fines and even be sent to prison. If you see fly-tipping, you can report it to your council.

Who you can report the problem to

• Do not touch the waste, but report the problem to your council online here at direct.gov

• Report the problem to your Anti-social Behaviour Coordinator, Team or local Neighbourhood Policing Team. Use our postcode search to find local contact details

• You can also report the problem to the police using the local force non-emergency number. Find your local number here

• If you are the tenant of a social landlord (the council or a housing association), report it to your landlord

• If you suspect that the waste may be dangerous or pollution, you can call the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60, or if you see an emergency call 999

If you are unsure what to do or who to speak to, contact your anti-social behaviour team. Use our postcode search to find local contact details. If they are not directly responsible they will be able to help you to find who is.

Who can deal with a fly-tipping problem and what tools and powers can be used?

It is the responsibility of the council to deal with most fly-tipping issues and waste issues, but if there is a lot of fly-tipping or it is suspected that businesses are fly-tipping the police and the Environment Agency can become involved.

The council, police and Environment Agency can:

• Prosecute individuals or businesses in court under section 33 and 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 resulting in possibly a very large fine

• Use acceptable behaviour contracts or agreements (ABCs/ABAs) this could be an agreement not dump waste and use council services

• Use anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) in certain cases to stop nuisance and for example to prohibit a person from transporting any waste or rubbish in their car or van

These are just some of the tools and powers that can be used. Whatever action is taken, you should expect to be kept informed of what is being done to solve the problem.