Fly-tippers will get points on their driving licences and face prison time, under new plans by the Conservatives.
It’s part of a drive by the party against antisocial behaviour that would also see disruptive social housing tenants given three strikes before being evicited if the party is elected.
Those caught fly-tipping currently face fixed-penalty notices of up to £1,000 – but the worst offenders face unlimited fines through the courts.
The Tories have said they will go further by making penalty points on driving licences a punishment for dumping rubbish. The most serious offenders will still face court where the maximum penalty is five years in jail.
Latest data shows there were 1.1m incidents of fly-tipping in 2022/23, down slightly from the year before. The highest number of offences take place on roads and pavements.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe in their neighbourhood and a sense of pride in the place they call home.
“The Conservatives are the only ones with a clear plan to ensure safety, security and prosperity in your local community and your high street.
“We will take the bold action needed to crack down on fly-tipping, evict nuisance tenants and stop anti-social behaviour in its tracks so we can build a secure future for everyone across the whole country.”
The party said it would also pass a law to kick tenants out of social housing after three proven instances of anti-social behaviour. Local authorities and housing associations will be responsible for evicting the tenants.
Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, rejected the announcement as “empty words”.
“This is more empty words from a chaotic Tory party who have let antisocial behaviour run rampant and let criminals, vandals and fly-tippers get away with it,” she said.
“There were more than a million fly-tipping incidents on the Conservatives’ watch in the last year, yet the Tories repeatedly failed to implement their own policies and promises.
“Who does Rishi Sunak think is going to enforce any action on antisocial behaviour when the Tories have cut 10,000 neighbourhood police and PCSOs in the last eight years?”
Ms Cooper repeated Labour’s pledge to put 13,000 more neighbourhood police and community support officers back on the beat.
The Liberal Democrats said fines for fly-tipping have been too low under the Tories.
“The Conservatives have effectively legalised littering. Under their government, fines for littering and fly-tipping are so low that people are being let off scot-free up and down the country,” local government spokeswoman Helen Morgan said.
