Ealing Fly-Tipping Surges 50% to 25,000 Incidents in 2024/26

Key Points

• Fly-tipping incidents in Ealing rose 50.9% from 16,828 in 2023/24 to 25,394 in 2024/25, according to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) data.
• Ealing ranks sixth worst in London and seventh out of 294 local authorities in England for fly-tipping.
• Neighbouring boroughs reported lower figures: Brent 16,338 (down 39.5%), Harrow 13,925, Hillingdon 9,846, Hammersmith & Fulham 8,087 (down 31.9%).
• Ealing Council launched ‘This is our home, not a tip’ campaign in May 2025 to raise awareness and encourage reporting.
• Council doubled fly-tipping fines from £400 to £1,000 in May 2025; fines issued rose 191% from 161 in May 2025 to 469 in March 2026.
• Increased reporting attributed to campaign success, more CCTV use, and over 8 million social media impressions.
• FixMyStreet data ranks Ealing 75th in UK, 15th in London with 671 reports (20.2% of 3,318 total).
• Gareth Lloyd Jones, Managing Director at HIPPO Waste, noted the 50% jump suggests changing behaviour and service pressure.
• Ealing Council does not integrate FixMyStreet but uses Love Clean Streets app linked to its CRM; open to integration talks.
• National context: England saw 1.26 million incidents in 2024/25, up 9%, with 62% household waste.

Ealing (Extra London News) April 30, 2026 – Fly-tipping incidents in the London borough of Ealing have surged by more than 50% in a year, reaching 25,394 cases in 2024/25 according to official Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) figures, positioning the area among the worst affected in the capital and nationwide.

This sharp rise of 50.9% from 16,828 incidents the previous year has prompted Ealing Council to intensify enforcement measures, including higher fines and public awareness drives, amid concerns over environmental damage and diverted council resources.

Residents and businesses have voiced frustration over the blight, which council officials describe as a criminal drain on funds better spent on public services.

Why Has Fly-Tipping Increased So Dramatically in Ealing?

Defra data confirms Ealing recorded 25,394 fly-tipping incidents in 2024/25, up from 16,828 the prior year—a 50.9% increase—ranking it sixth in London and seventh nationally out of 294 authorities.

This places Ealing ahead of neighbours like Brent (16,338 incidents, down 39.5%), Harrow (13,925), Hillingdon (9,846), and Hammersmith & Fulham (8,087, down 31.9%).

As reported by journalists at EALING.NEWS, the borough’s Labour-run administration faces scrutiny, with the figures highlighting a stark contrast to declining trends in adjacent areas.

Gareth Lloyd Jones, Managing Director at HIPPO Waste, told EALING.NEWS:

“A jump of over 50% in a year is significant, and it suggests the issue is becoming more visible at street level. When increases happen this quickly, it’s often a mix of changing behaviour and pressure on local services rather than a one-off spike.”

He added:

“What stands out with Ealing is that it ranks highly despite only capturing publicly reported incidents. That points to a broader underlying problem and suggests fly-tipping is becoming a more regular part of day-to-day reporting in the borough.”

Nationally, Defra’s statistics for England show 1.26 million incidents in 2024/25, a 9% rise, with highways accounting for 37% (463,000 cases, up 9%) and household waste comprising 62%.

What Is Ealing Council Doing to Combat Fly-Tipping?

An Ealing Council spokesperson told EALING.NEWS: “We understand residents’ and business concerns around fly-tipping and we are cracking down on this criminal activity.”

The spokesperson continued:

“Fly-tipping is a drain on council funds which would be better spent on services for residents and has a direct impact on the environment and quality of life. As a result we launched an awareness campaign in May: ‘This is our home, not a tip’ which explains to our communities what fly-tipping is, its impact and how everyone can help by disposing of waste correctly.”

Further details from Around Ealing report that the campaign, launched alongside tougher fines, uses evidence from dumped waste, CCTV, and witness videos to track offenders.

The council has more than doubled fly-tipping fines from £400 to £1,000 since May 2025 “to send a clear message — illegal waste dumping will not be tolerated,” the spokesperson stated.

Fines issued rose significantly from 161 in May 2025 to 469 in March 2026—a 191% increase—“showing our efforts to catch offenders,” according to the council.

EALING.NEWS also covered the council’s response to Liberal Democrat criticism, where the spokesperson said:

“Ealing Council is undertaking a vast amount of work to tackle fly-tipping together with our waste and recycling services. Last month we launched our ‘This is our home, not a tip’ campaign. We announced fly-tipping offences will now carry a £1,000 fine, more than double the previous amount of £400 sending a clear message: illegally dumping waste will not be tolerated.”

Around Ealing noted the council spends £3 million annually on clearance, funds that could support elderly care, housing, or schools.

How Does FixMyStreet Data Differ from Official Figures?

Separate analysis by HIPPO Waste using FixMyStreet platform data ranks Ealing 75th overall in the UK and 15th in London, with 671 fly-tipping reports out of 3,318 total reports (20.2%).

The analysis notes Ealing’s Defra figures cover only publicly reported incidents, implying the true total could be higher.

FixMyStreet is not linked to the council’s systems, as an Ealing Council spokesperson told EALING.NEWS:

“We do not use the FixMyStreet app as we do not have integrated solutions with it. We have various approved channels such as the Love Clean Streets app and websites that we use as they are integrated with our customer relationship management (CRM) software. Love Clean Streets is the quickest way to report a problem and reports go straight into our customer management system.”

The spokesperson added:

“We would be happy to talk to Fix my Street and see if integration with our CRM is feasible.”

FixMyStreet reports for Ealing include ongoing issues like extensive fly-tipping opposite Westway retail centre and rubbish including tyres on roadsides.

What Do the Figures Mean for Ealing Residents?

The campaign has boosted reporting, with

“the higher reporting of fly-tipping in the borough of Ealing is partly due to the success of our campaign which has significantly increased residents and businesses being more proactive and rigorous in reporting fly-tipping to us, as well as our increased use of CCTV to capture incidents,”

the council spokesperson explained to EALING.NEWS.

Social media efforts have garnered more than 8 million impressions since launch.

Defra cautions that higher numbers may reflect proactive reporting rather than solely increased incidents, influenced by population density and demographics.

In context, Ealing’s rate aligns with London’s high average of 53 incidents per 1,000 people versus England’s 21.

Residents are urged to use approved channels like Love Clean Streets for swift action.

How Does Ealing Compare Nationally and in London?

Ealing’s seventh-place national ranking underscores its severity, per Defra data analysed by EALING.NEWS.

London boroughs dominate top spots, with Ealing sixth locally.

A separate BusinessWaste.co.uk analysis ranked Ealing 24th out of 33 London boroughs for hazardous fly-tipping, lower than Hillingdon (1.94 per 10,000 residents) but above Brent and Harrow.

Hammersmith and Fulham reported zero hazardous cases.

Nationally, enforcement rose 8% to 572,000 actions, including 69,000 fixed penalty notices (up 9%).

Prosecution success hit 99.1%, though fines fell slightly.

What Are the Broader Impacts of Fly-Tipping?

Fly-tipping undermines communities and legitimate waste firms, per Defra.

In Ealing, it diverts funds from vital services, as the council notes.

Clearance for large national incidents cost £19.3 million in 2024/25.

Council efforts, including targeted info in hotspots, aim to restore pride in neighbourhoods.