Hi-tech ‘drones squad’ will be deployed to track illegal waste dumps from the air |
The Environment Agency (EA) said the “drones squad” of 33 trained pilots will aim to capture more evidence of illegal dumping and help bring waste criminals to justice.
The agency has also developed new screening software that enables its officers to scan and cross-check lorry licence applications against waste permit records.
Alongside the new surveillance technology, the EA said it has increased the Joint Unit for Waste Crime from 13 to 20 specialists, who are working with law enforcement partners to tackle organised crime networks.
Waste crime has escalated in the UK recent years, and is a particular concern in East Anglia.
A BBC investigation found more than 500 waste tips were operating across the country at the end of last year, including 11 “super sites” - one of which is the huge "tyre mountain" dumped at Tattersett, near Fakenham.
New figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request found nearly 1,300 reports of fly-tipping, illegal waste dumping and burning in Norfolk in the past five years.
And last month, South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy urged the government to do more to tackle the scourge of waste crime after a farmer in his constituency was left with a £250,000 clean-up bill for fly-tipped building waste.
Ministers said the government is "aggressively pursuing waste criminals" and the EA has ramped up action to tackle the problem, saying it shut down a record 751 sites last year.
Phil Davies, head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime Unit, said: “Illegal waste dumping is appalling, and we are determined to turn the tide on this heinous crime.
“With organised criminals becoming ever more sophisticated, we are adopting new technologies to find and, importantly, stop them.
“Through the greater use of drones, stronger partnerships and more officers on the ground, we will build on our action so far and send a clear message to those committing waste crimes – we will stop you.”
The EA has already been flying drones mainly to capture flood information – racking up a total of 272 hours in flight time since July last year.
Of the EA’s 54 drones, some will soon be equipped with light detection and ranging (Lidar) technology, which fires millions of laser points per second towards the ground below to create precise, detailed map of illegal waste sites, which could be used as evidence in court.
The new measures come after the government increased the EA’s budget for waste crime enforcement by more than 50pc this year to £15.6m.
Environment secretary Emma Reynolds said: “This government is aggressively pursuing waste criminals and bringing offenders to justice.”
She added: “From advanced laser mapping to drone surveillance and new vehicle scanning tools, this technology is helping us track, expose and stop waste crime, ensuring those who blight our communities are held to account.”