Police chiefs from across South East England are working together to crackdown on waste crime.
Senior figures from the Thames Valley, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire met last week to form a co-ordinated action plan against illegal refuse disposal.
They highlighted the scale of the problem, with more than 1 million incidents of fly-tipping reported by councils in 2023/24.
One local authority in the South East was forced to close a recycling centre last month after failing to prevent constant dumping of general refuse on the premises.
The police chiefs meeting last week agreed to commission a strategic review of waste crime as well as a “joined-up” action plan to tackle it.
Matthew Barber, police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley, said illegal activity in the sector could represent “big business for criminals”.
He added that the recent summit, which also included representatives from councils, landowners and the Environment Agency, was “an important step to ensuring a joined-up approach across the region.”
Ministers last month announced plans to seize and destroy vehicles used by rogue waste firms, as part of a crackdown on illegal dumping of materials.
