Waste crime offences
Waste crime offences are environmental crimes. The waste crime team enforce:
- littering
- fly tipping
- abandoned vehicles
- graffiti
- fly-posting
- household duty of care
- commercial duty of care
- community protection notice
More information about littering and fly-tipping offences can be found on our webpage.
Abandoned vehicles
If a vehicle is abandoned we have the right to remove the vehicle and issue a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for the offence. If you have been issued with a FPN the current fine is £200.
You can find out more on GOV.UK about our responsibilities for abandoned vehicles. If you need to tell us about an abandoned vehicle then you can report it on our webpage.
Graffiti
We expect the local area to be free from graffiti. By graffiti we mean any writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed on a wall or other surface in a public place.
If you have been issued with an FPN for graffiti the fine is £250.
Fly-posting
Fly-posters usually advertise events with posters, stickers or bills that are put up without the permission of the property owner. A fine of £80 is payable if you have fly-posted.
Duty of care
Household
The duty of care requires occupiers of domestic property must take all reasonable steps to make sure they only give their household waste to someone authorised to handle it.
A person commits an offence if they fail in their duty of care to make sure their waste is disposed of properly. This includes situations where:
- fly-tipped waste is traced back to someone who did not take reasonable steps to ensure it was given to an authorised person
- an unauthorised carrier is found with household waste that was directly given to them by the occupier
- someone gives their household waste to an unauthorised person at a site without a proper permit or exemption
The fine amount is either £400 or £500 depending on the offence. You can check if your waste carrier is registered to dispose of waste.
Commercial
Any person who is carrying controlled waste as a business and does not have the correct waste transfer licence is committing an offence.
- failing to produce a valid registration for the transporting of waste (valid waste carriers licence)
- failing to comply with the duty relating to the transfer of controlled waste (valid waste transfer note)
You can be fined £300.
Community protection notices
It is an offence when behaviour is identified which is considered to be detrimental to the community or the environment.
For example:
- waste accumulation where waste is stored in gardens and can attract vermin
- areas where there is excessive waste being stored or areas not being maintained and attracting littering
- burning of waste
- community bin stores not being used correctly by the residents.
We enforce against anti-social behaviour by issuing community protection warnings and community protection notices in the borough. If you are fined the cost is £100,
FPN disagreement
If you are accused of an offence, you will usually be issued with a FPN. They are issued instead of us taking you to court and if you accept the fine, no further action will be taken.
You cannot appeal against a fixed penalty notice. If you do not accept the fine, you can ask for the matter to be heard in court. If you do wish for the matter to be dealt with this way, you risk, if found guilty, a criminal record, a greater fine, court costs or even prison.
This will also apply if you fail, or you refuse to pay the FPN.