Police arrested a 56‑year‑old man during a coordinated day of action in Lancashire on Saturday 6 December after multiple large‑scale fly‑tips were found on roadsides and lay‑bys. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime worked with Lancashire Police’s south rural taskforce and the National Crime Agency; a vehicle suspected of being used in the offences has been seized. Investigations are continuing across Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside, with officers appealing for information from the public.

Officials are urging witnesses to come forward. The Environment Agency asks anyone with information to contact its incident hotline, and JUWC manager Phil Davies said joint operations make it harder for waste criminals to operate while helping protect communities and nature.

Formed in 2020 and hosted by the Environment Agency, the JUWC brings together 12 partner bodies including UK environmental regulators, police, the National Crime Agency and HMRC. By September 2025 it had led or taken part in 361 multi‑agency days of action, with 186 associated arrests recorded by partner agencies; the unit has recently doubled in size with specialist investigators and former police officers.

Fly‑tipping remains widespread. DEFRA records show councils in England dealt with 1.15 million incidents in 2023/24; 60% involved household waste and 37% occurred on highways. Serious cases are rising: large ‘tipper lorry load’ incidents reached 47,000 last year, costing councils £13.1 million to clear. Councils carried out 528,000 enforcement actions, and the average court fine was £530.

The wider waste‑crime picture is more severe. Environment Agency evidence suggests around 20% of all waste may be handled illegally, with organised crime groups responsible for roughly a third of offences and most incidents never reported. The estimated economic hit is around £1 billion a year, borne by taxpayers, legitimate businesses and the environment.

Rural communities carry hidden costs. The NFU reports fly‑tipping affects roughly two‑thirds of farmers, while the Country Land and Business Association says landowners typically pay about £1,000 to remove dumped waste, with extreme clean‑ups running to £100,000. In June, a Hertfordshire farmer faced a bill of around £40,000 after 200 tonnes were dumped over three nights near St Albans.

Policy is shifting towards repeat offenders. In April, ministers said councils and police will identify, seize and crush vehicles used by waste criminals, backed by drones and mobile CCTV, alongside tougher penalties for illegal operations. A subsequent parliamentary reply reaffirmed plans to make offenders clean up and to remove barriers to using vehicle‑seizure powers.

Prevention remains essential. Keep Britain Tidy’s recent research found 70% of councils now class fly‑tipping as a ‘major problem’ and estimate that about 40% of incidents come from rogue traders rather than householders-pointing to the need for easy legal disposal routes, trusted carriers and clearer public information.

There are practical steps that cut risk immediately. Before paying anyone to remove rubbish, check the Environment Agency’s public register of waste carriers and ask for a receipt describing the load and destination. For bulky items, search ‘Dispose of household waste’ on GOV.UK for council and reuse options. To report suspected waste crime, call the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

This arrest shows how coordinated enforcement can move quickly when agencies share intelligence. Pairing stronger vehicle‑seizure powers with prevention-verifying carriers, choosing legitimate disposal routes and reporting suspicious activity-can reduce the number of lay‑bys blighted by waste and free up resources to restore local green spaces in the North West and beyond.