DRIVING around the constituency, I occasionally come across a pile of rubbish dumped in a layby or on the edge of woodland.

It makes me so angry to think of the environmental damage this could do. So, I’m delighted that this Labour government is taking very firm action against this criminal behaviour in the toughest ever crackdown through a sweeping package of measures targeting illegal dumping.

This is a plan to shut down the criminal gangs running illegal waste sites. Waste crime costs the economy £1-billion every year, with an estimated 20 per cent of all waste illegally managed. Better use of drones, a bigger role for the police and the National Crime Agency, and a steep rise in fines will deter, catch and punish those who dump illegally. Local leaders will lead that effort in their own areas, building on the Government's pledge to put power back in the hands of the regions.

An eight-week consultation has launched on whether fly-tippers face being ordered to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid work cleaning streets and parks as part of new "clean-up squads” and be required to repay the cost of clearing their illegally dumped waste. Labour MPs will be able to use new powers to press local agencies for action, ensuring persistent waste crime issues in their constituencies are tackled and offenders are held to account. Fixed Penalty Notices issued by the Environment Agency for waste will rise from £300 to £5,000.

A Waste Crime Crackdown Group will bring together ministers, regulators, law enforcement, local government and industry to drive delivery of the Waste Crime Action Plan, set strategic priorities and resolve barriers to implementation. New powers under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will scrap the two-year time limit on confiscating cash, cars, houses and other assets bought with the proceeds of waste crime. Alongside the enforcement package, the Government is funding the clean-up of five of the country's most serious illegal waste sites.

Together, the sites contain around 90,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste and are harming an estimated 2,300 families. Sites were prioritised on scale, risk to nearby communities, environmental damage, and links to persistent non-compliance.

So far in 2025/26, 84 successful prosecutions for waste crime have been made, resulting in more than £1.6-million in fines and 25 suspended sentences. A further 101 prosecutions are ongoing, with cases already listed for a day in court. Twenty three arrests since April 2026 in connection with waste crime offences have been made. The criminals who choose to dump materials in our rural roadsides need to know that the law will catch up with them and they will face justice.

We have a wide network of highly professional recycling centres across Cornwall. I was lucky enough to visit two of these at St Dennis and Scorrier last week and the staff there are very proud of the work that they are doing to keep our Duchy clean and safe.