Fly-tipping in Exeter and Devon soars as Police step up enforcement

Police and council partners have stepped up efforts to tackle fly-tipping across Devon, as concerns continue to grow in Exeter about the impact of illegal dumping on green spaces and rural routes.

Earlier this month, officers from Devon & Cornwall Police’s Rural Affairs team staged a mock fly-tip in Dartmouth, working alongside South Hams District Council and environmental partnership Clean Devon. 

The event saw a mattress, sofa and drawers deliberately placed on an embankment to mirror the type of waste frequently dumped illegally in towns and countryside across the county.

While the initiative took place in South Devon, its message resonates strongly in Exeter, where residents have repeatedly raised concerns about fly-tipping in areas such as Exwick, Stoke Woods and along rural lanes on the city’s outskirts.

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In 2024, almost 5,000 incidents of fly-tipping were reported to district councils across Devon – an 11 per cent increase on the previous year. The crime is estimated to cost the UK around £1 billion annually and is often linked to organised criminal activity.

Rural Affairs Officer PC Clarke Orchard said fly-tipping can have “huge impacts on the environment”, affecting waterways, wildlife and the wider community. 

He added that farmers frequently experience emotional and financial strain when waste is dumped on their land, disrupting livestock, harvests and daily operations.

“The staged fly-tip is an innovative way to demonstrate what illegal waste dumping looks like and allows us to have constructive conversations with members of the local community about the importance of reporting fly-tipping,” he said.

Although Exeter is a largely urban authority, it is surrounded by farmland and woodland, leaving both city and rural areas vulnerable. 

In November 2025, Exeter MP Steve Race warned in Parliament about a surge in fly-tipping in Stoke Woods, describing it as a growing criminal threat to one of the city’s most cherished green spaces.

Local residents have reported dumped building materials, household furniture and black bin bags left along narrow lanes and woodland paths, creating hazards for walkers, cyclists and wildlife.

Under current rules, people found guilty of fly-tipping can face significant fines in magistrates’ courts, unlimited fines in higher courts, community orders or prison sentences of up to five years.

Authorities are keen to stress that responsibility does not end once rubbish leaves a household. 

Clean Devon’s Principal Waste Manager, Annette Dentith, warned that if waste is traced back to an individual and found to have been fly-tipped, that person can still be held liable.

Her advice includes avoiding cash-in-hand waste collectors or unverified social media adverts, checking that anyone removing rubbish is a registered waste carrier via the GOV.UK public register, and requesting a receipt that includes contact details and vehicle registration.

South Hams District Council says incidents should be reported to the relevant local authority, while large-scale waste crime should be referred to the Environment Agency. 

If waste is blocking a road or a crime is in progress, it becomes a police matter and 999 should be called.

In Exeter, responsibility for removal varies depending on land ownership, with highways and public land managed by local authorities and private landowners required to clear waste from their own property.

As enforcement agencies increase community engagement and intelligence-sharing, officials say public reporting remains one of the most effective tools in tackling the problem.

With fly-tipping incidents continuing to rise across Devon, police and council leaders are urging Exeter residents to remain vigilant - and to ensure their waste is disposed of responsibly - in a collective effort to protect the city’s streets, woodlands and waterways.