Yorkshire is one of England's waste crime hotspots - find how your area compares
The Environment Agency has published waste crime heatmaps covering England.
Yorkshire is one of England’s main fly-tipping hotspots, according to new data published by the Environment Agency for the first time.
The regulator has unveiled heatmaps that show where suspected waste crime is being reported and highlight areas where organised gangs are operating.
This includes everything from carrying, dumping or burning masses of fly-tipped waste.
With 1,068 reports in Yorkshire in 2025, it was only behind the West Midlands with 1,542 incidents across England.
This was almost 10 per cent of the total over the whole of the country.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: “For too long waste crime has blighted our towns, cities, and countryside.
“These heatmaps shine a light on the scale of the problem and how it has been left to fester. That’s why we are cracking down on the criminals behind it and giving the Environment Agency the tools it needs to go further and faster.
“Those who pollute our land, poison our waterways and line their pockets at the expense of local communities will face the full force of the law."
Within Yorkshire, the hotspots are around Leeds, Bradford and Halifax. The maps also show fly-tipping in Sheffield and areas like Barnsley and Rotherham.
This is one of three major fly-tips that the Government has said it will clear, subject to feasibility assessments.
The Prime Minister has handed mayors additional responsibilities to clamp down on waste crime, and funded additional drones to locate fly-tips.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin will be part of the pilot for this.
The Government is also handing the EA stronger powers to tackle waste crime, with fines ramping up to £5,000 and imprisonment for those responsible for serious offences.
Philip Duffy, chief executive of the EA, said: “With more officers on the frontline and strengthened enforcement, we are disrupting criminal gangs and supporting legitimate operators. But intelligence from the public remains vital.
“If you see something suspicious – you must report it. Every piece of information helps us build the picture we need to act faster, intervene earlier and shut down criminal operations before they cause more harm to communities and the environment."
Incidents have soared across the country in recent years, with organised waste crime groups growing increasingly sophisticated and massive illegal dumps in protected areas sparking public outrage.
Throughout the Dales, rubbish is being dumped at the side of the roads, with detritus blowing into the stunning Yorkshire countryside.
Bogus waste-disposal companies are using local Facebook groups to offer cash-in-hand collections of household rubbish, and then dumping it in laybys or farm tracks.
A recent report by the National Rural Crime Network and Future Countryside found that organised criminal networks are running fly-tipping operations on an “industrial scale”. This is costing the economy millions of pounds a year.
Mr Burnham is making “community renewal” and has asked his de-facto deputy Louise Haigh to lead a cross-government task force on this.
Regional mayors are set to be asked to join these groups, according to the Guardian.