Report fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste onto any land that is not an authorised waste disposal site, including rubbish dumped on streets, alleyways and passageways.
It includes dumping items such as mattresses and furniture, chemical drums, tyres and bags of rubbish.
- We do not clear waste from private land. By law, the landowner, tenant, or landlord is responsible for cleaning up any illegally dumped rubbish and paying for its disposal.
- We cannot pick up dumped rubbish if there's a chance it contains asbestos. If you suspect asbestos has been dumped, please report it to Environmental Health.
- You cannot report dead animals as fly-tipping. Please tell our street cleaning team instead.
Before you report it to us
Waste dumped on railway? Report it to Network Rail
Waste dumped along the Leeds/Liverpool Canal? Report it to the Canal and River Trust
Dumped shopping trolley? Report it to Trolleywise
Badly parked or damaged e-scooter or e-bike? Report it to Bolt
If you see someone fly-tipping
If you see someone dumping items do not approach them — what they are doing is illegal so their behaviour may be unpredictable.
Before making your report, please note the following details if you can:
- time, date and place of the incident
- people involved and their vehicles, including number plates, vehicle colour and type
- type of waste or hazard — do not touch it, and try to stay upwind of the waste in case of fumes
Please do not touch or remove any evidence such as addressed letters — it may help us identify the person.
How to report it
You can report fly-tipping online.
If you can, please upload a photo of the problem and any nearby landmarks to help us find it. Only take a photo if it is safe to do so.
- If you have a 'My Account' you can keep track of your report if you are signed in. If you do not have an account, you can create one.
- You can report an issue without an account, but we can only update you if you provide your contact details.
- If someone has already reported an issue in the same location, you can subscribe for updates.
Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data.
What happens next?
We usually clear waste within 5 working days. If there is a lot of waste or it needs special checks, it might take us a bit longer.
If we find clear proof of who is responsible, we'll ask them to clear the waste and take legal action.
If you have a My Account, have left your contact details or have subscribed to updates on an issue, we will keep you informed of progress until the issue is resolved.
We can only take legal action if we can evidence who the waste belongs to and who fly-tipped it. We build a case using CCTV, photos, witness statements and evidence found in the waste. If you witnessed a fly-tipping incident and told us you are happy to provide a statement, we will be in touch to discuss it with you.