Phil Barnett/PA Wire
Contractors work to remove waste left by fly-tippers on the outskirts of Lichfield, Staffordshire in January 2025
Environment Agency officials could gain police-style powers to help them crack down on fly-tipping and the illegal dumping of waste in England, the government has said.
Ministers say they are looking at allowing environment officers to search premises without a warrant, seize assets and arrest those suspected of criminality.
The EA currently brings prosecutions and in the last year there have been 10 immediate custodial sentences and the shut down of over 1,000 illegal waste sites. But the government believes more could be done with new powers.
The announcement comes ahead of the release of the government’s Waste Crime Action Plan next week.
Currently, fly-tipping is a criminal offence, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Under new legislation, people caught transporting and deal
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