MORE than a thousand cases of fly-tipping have been dealt with across Worcester in the past three years.
But only 14 fines have been issued and no prosecutions brought against offenders in that time.
Worcester City Council says it is actively investigating incidents, using CCTV and “intelligence-led approaches” but can only issue fixed penalty notices and bring prosecutions when perpetrators have been identified.
A Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed 1,398 fly-tipping offences took place between May 2023 and April 2026 – the three most recent complete financial years.
GREEN: Karen Lewing and Hannah Cooper are among the councillors to have urged residents to dispose of their rubbish legally (Image: Worcester Greens)
There were 432 offences in 2023/24, 512 in 2024/25 and 454 in 2025/26.
Across the three years, the primary waste type was classed as white goods 69 times, and other electrical items another 46 times.
The vast majority of the rubbish being dumped came from people’s homes, with black bin bags and other household waste accounting for 825 fly-tipping incidents in three years.
Council officers had to clean up 10 fly-tips of clinical waste, one animal carcass and a dumping of asbestos, as well as 38 piles of tyres and vehicle parts.
There were also 83 incidents of construction waste being fly-tipped and 75 of commercial waste.
A Worcester City Council spokesperson said: “We take fly-tipping extremely seriously and are committed to tackling this issue.
“Through a combination of enforcement, education, and proactive cleansing, we are working hard to keep our city clean and safe for residents and visitors.
FRIDGE: White goods were dumped illegally 69 times around Worcester over three years (Image: Neville Clarke)
“Our enforcement officers are actively investigating fly-tipping incidents, using CCTV where necessary and intelligence-led approaches to identify offenders and take appropriate action.
“The challenge is that penalty notices can only be issued and prosecutions made when fly-tipping perpetrators have been identified.
“At the same time, our City Cleansing teams, supported by our dedicated Pro-active Hit Team, are responding swiftly to reports of fly-tipping, ensuring that waste is removed promptly to prevent further issues, including more waste accumulating.”
The council is encouraging residents to use its Report It system at www.worcester.gov.uk to report fly-tipping incidents.
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“This helps our teams to quickly take action to remove the dumped waste and target areas for enforcement action,” said the spokesperson.
“We are also engaging with communities to raise awareness about responsible waste disposal and making it easier for residents to dispose of waste legally, including through our bulky waste collection service, which can be booked on our website.
“Tackling fly-tipping is a shared responsibility, and by working together, we can keep Worcester clean.”
