South East hit by record fly-tipping

Incidents up but fixed penalty notices down, with some areas hit by 70%+ rise in dumpings
Written by Mike Sims. First published on 25 Feb 2026.
Colin Rayner fly-tipping Berkshire 1

Parts of the South East have suffered a 70%+ rise in fly-tipping incidents in a single year, new figures show.

Overall the region recorded 109,015 incidents on public land in 2024/25, up 7.2% in a year, with many areas suffering big increases.

These include:

  • Kent, up 12% to 29,106 incidents
  • Berkshire, up 26% to 9,672
  • Crawley, up 20.6%
  • Eastbourne, up 53.6%
  • Lewes, up 27.5%
  • Folkestone and Hythe, up 33.8%
  • Sevenoaks, up 40%
  • Rushmore, up 71.4%
  • Reading, up 70.9%
  • Slough, up 94%
  • Runnymede, up 21.4%
  • Woking, up 32%
  • Cherwell, up 21%.

In the South East, though incidents were up, total fixed penalty notices dropped 14% to 3,273, while FPNs specifically for fly-tipping tumbled 35% to 1,478.

'Mountains of waste'

CLA South East Regional Director Tim Bamford said: "Enough is enough.

"Our countryside is drowning in mountains of waste. We need a fly-tipping commissioner to be appointed to drive action, better enforcement of penalties, the seizure of vehicles and more support for victims."

There have been several high-profile incidents recently, from the 30,000 tonnes of waste dumped in ancient woodland at Hoad’s Wood in Kent, to 20,000 tonnes next to the River Cherwell and A34 in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

Colin Rayner, whose family farm in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey, said: “We have been experiencing ongoing fly-tipping every week, highlighting the persistent nature of the problem and the need for urgent action.

“Fly-tipping is out of control in the countryside. We wake up to loads of rubbish in the field or farm gateways. From car tyres to household waste, hazardous waste is often found.

“Our public footpaths that cross our fields are another source of unsightly littering. Our verges are used to dump garden waste and abandon white goods and even dead dogs.

“We just clear up the fly-tipping waste and bear the high disposal costs at the registered landfill site, which significantly impact our farm's finances. My team must litter pick the footpaths weekly, adding to our ongoing expenses.”