Environment Agency officers seized a large construction vehicle and a heavy goods vehicle at Throckmorton Industrial Park, Worcestershire, on Thursday 19 March 2026. The joint operation, supported by West Mercia Police’s Evesham Rural Safer Neighbourhood team and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, was disclosed by the Agency on Friday 20 March. (gov.uk)
The vehicles were impounded using statutory powers that allow regulators to seize assets suspected of involvement in waste offences, including under section 5 of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 and section 34B of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Authorities must publish a seizure notice and provide a 15‑working‑day claim window; unclaimed vehicles may then be sold or destroyed under the 2015 seized property regulations. (gov.uk)
Police participation provides scene security and access to stop and search powers where required. DVSA officers typically check operator licensing, drivers’ hours, vehicle roadworthiness and load security at the roadside, and can issue immediate or delayed prohibition notices and fixed penalties following inspections. (gov.uk)
The operation aligned with a wider policy push announced on 19–20 March 2026. Defra and the Environment Agency confirmed a Waste Crime Action Plan with measures including £45 million of extra enforcement funding over three years, a new Operational Waste Intelligence and Analysis Unit, proposals for penalty points on driving licences for fly‑tipping, public naming of illegal operators, and a Landfill Tax rebate model for councils clearing the worst illegal sites such as in Wigan, Sheffield and Lancashire. (gov.uk)
Alongside funding, the Environment Agency set out how it will intervene earlier at larger and higher‑risk sites. Tools include restriction notices that can shut an illegal operation immediately, with breaches attracting penalties of up to 51 weeks’ imprisonment, and more decisive use of permit suspensions, revocations and deregistration of non‑compliant carriers. (gov.uk)
Recent enforcement volumes provide context. In 2024/25 the Agency reports it stopped activity at 743 illegal waste sites, including 84 in the West Midlands. Over a longer period, the Action Plan records 1,205 sites brought into compliance or ceased between July 2024 and the end of 2025, with 122 prosecutions. (gov.uk)
For operators, policy direction is tightening. Defra plans to move the carriers, brokers and dealers regime into environmental permitting, raising enforcement thresholds and penalties, while UK‑wide digital waste tracking goes live for receiving sites in April 2026 and becomes mandatory from October 2026 to strengthen traceability and target high‑risk movements. (gov.uk)
Local authorities and landowners should note proposals for a Landfill Tax rebate model to remove a financial barrier to clearing high‑risk illegal waste sites. Government has also committed to directly fund clearance at a small number of nationally significant locations, with criteria and next steps set out in the Action Plan. (gov.uk)
The legal framework has been reinforced in recent years. The Environment Act 2021 clarified aspects of vehicle seizure powers in waste cases, complementing the Waste Enforcement (England and Wales) Regulations 2018, which created restriction notices and court‑ordered restriction orders to control access and stop deposits at non‑compliant sites. (legislation.gov.uk)
Members of the public and businesses can report suspected illegal waste activity to the Environment Agency’s 24‑hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The Agency notes that investigations can be complex and lengthy due to evidential standards required for court action. (gov.uk)