Organised criminal gangs are dumping lorry-loads of rubbish in Gloucestershire as part of an illegal waste clearing service.

Analysis by the BBC found the number of incidents of large-scale fly-tipping has more than doubled in the county.

Police and environmental groups say the nature of fly-tipping is changing – a shift driven by a surge in criminal gangs offering illegal waste clearing services.

Each year, councils across England and Wales collate the number, size and cost of illegal rubbish dumping in their areas.

Anything above the size of a lorry-load can be investigated by the Environment Agency, though the cost of clearance lies with the local council.

Between 2012 and 2019, there were 971 major incidents logged in Gloucestershire’s six districts.

The incidents are costly to clear Gloucestershire’s six districts cumulatively spent more than £161,000 on their removal since 2012.

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said it is ‘quite possible’ the numbers represent organised gangs in waste crime.

Major fly-tipping incidents occur mostly in the county’s rural areas, with 54 per cent with being within the Stroud district.

In the county’s urban districts – Gloucester and Cheltenham – there were only 21 major incidents over the same period.

Stroud District Council paid the most money to clear the waste at £93,725, followed by Tewkesbury Borough Council at £32,491, Cotswold District Council at £24,070 and Forest of Dean District Council at £10,153.39.

Between 2012 to 2019, there were 531 major incidents recording by Stroud District Council where the size of the fly-tipped waste is larger than a lorry-road.

The authority has previously warned residents to the licenses of individuals and companies who offer waste carrying services.

In 2018 two Stroud residents who illegally dumped waste – which included asbestos – had been sentenced and fined.

Nicholas Smith was charged with running a waste operation without a permit in Cashes Green and Leonard Stanley, and got rid of waste at Ryeford Industrial Estate without a permit.

He received a suspended sentence of 18 months on condition he carried out 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was ordered to pay costs of £1,000 plus £500 compensation to Stroud District Council and a victim surcharge of £115.

The other man, Oliver Edwards, was given a three year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £320 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

A Stroud District Council spokeswoman said: “Stroud District Council takes fly-tipping very seriously – we clear between 900 and 1,000 fly tips annually and will always prosecute where appropriate, whilst less serious cases are dealt with by way of a £300 fixed penalty.

“Unfortunately, in many cases, it is difficult to obtain sufficient evidence to identify those responsible for fly-tipping crimes.

“In order to do this, we need evidence from fly tipped waste, CCTV footage, or witness accounts.

“Often we rely on information provided by local residents and we would urge anyone who has information about unlawful waste disposal of any kind to report it to us."

The number of incidents of large-scale fly-tipping has also more than doubled in England and Wales since 2012.

While the total number of fly-tipping incidents in England has hovered around the one million mark in recent years, the largest type of tips – sometimes covering whole parks – has risen 117 per cent since 2012. 

Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “Of course, the substantial increase over time of larger fly-tipping incidents involving tipper trucks and multiple loads – particularly in London – is of real concern. 

“It’s quite possible that these numbers represent the involvement of organised gangs in waste crime. 

“If this is the case, then it’s time for the new government to get serious on mass fly-tipping, make it harder for criminals to trade, and give local authorities the resources they need to crack down on this blight on our communities and environment.”

Julia Mulligan, chair of the National Rural Crime Network, said: “Failures to act against fly-tipping misunderstand the impact on communities and rural businesses. 

“Not only does it make people feel less safe and blight our communities, but the financial cost of dealing with the waste is significant. 

“Most importantly, though, it is generally thought larger scale fly-tipping stems from serious and organised criminals, and so failing to deal with those offenders adequately has knock-on consequences.”