EXCLUSIVE: The illegal waste crime epidemic and the 'high-tech solution' funded by criminals set to tackle it

DRONES which can pinpoint buried illegal rubbish are set to be used to try to clampdown on the epidemic of illegal waste sites that are spreading across the country, UK News and Investigations can reveal.

Environment Agency (EA) investigators hope to use specialist drones to fire lasers from above which will allow them to develop Detailed laser mapping and satellite imagery helping investigators catch offenders off-guard.

It is one of a range of new measures to tackle waste crime set to be announced by the agency.

Under the Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology millions of laser points are fired out every few seconds, pinpointing where waste has been illegally dumped or buried by criminals.

Organised waste criminals are now so prolific and making so much money that the illicit industry has been dubbed 'the new narcotics'.

Among illegal dumps are the notorious 21,000-tonne, 500ft-long fly tip that appeared in a field near Kidlington in Oxfordshire, which sparked national outrage with an expected £10million clean-up bill.

Other 'super sites' yet to be cleared include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall, and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

There have been repeated claims of inaction by the EA in connection with a number of the sites as the under-resourced agency seeks to tackle hundreds of waste site investigations across the country.

However, it now claims to be fighting back with the use of high-tech equipment funded from proceeds of crimes from convicted criminals.

The EA is already using LIDAR technology on specially designed aircraft which fly at nearly 6,000 feet to create intricate images of topography to see any changes in the land.

The EA said it uses chartered planes which are deployed across the country based on intelligence relating to specific investigations.

The tech was historically used for mapping flood risk, but is now being used more than ever before to monitor illegal waste sites.

The EA’s Geomatics team can compare the new images with previous data sets and satellite imagery to clearly see if there have been changes to the topography, height or volumes of materials on sites. This can then be used as crucial evidence in court to help bring waste criminals to justice.

The technology is also crucial in checking if accredited waste businesses are keeping within their permit, in terms of the amount of waste deposited, or if they might be avoiding landfill tax.

An EA spokesperson said: 'For the first time, money from the pockets of criminals will be used to fund increased surveillance as part of the Environment Agency’s growing arsenal in the war against waste crime.

'In the 2025/2026 financial year, the Environment Agency has used £91,299 from the Proceeds of Crime Act to expand the usage of Lidar technology.

'This unique mapping offers a much more detailed and clearer picture of the scale of illegal waste dumping, leaving perpetrators with nowhere to hide.

'Going forward, the Environment Agency is now developing plans to equip drones with LIDAR technology, which could lead to 45 million elevation points being captured.'

Emma Viner, EA Enforcement and Investigations Manager, said: 'Our LIDAR-equipped aircraft is our eye in the sky, revealing levels of detail that we could never see on the ground and catching waste criminals unaware.

'This aerial advantage will help us win the war against waste crime, which blights our environment and scars local communities.'

Evidence obtained via LIDAR mapping has helped to secure convictions in court, as well as establish the financial benefit from criminality.

James Mete, of Thirwell Farm, Drove Lane, Hernhill, near Faversham, (above) was found guilty of allowing 40,000 tonnes of waste to be dumped on his land without the required permits, based on an array of evidence, including images captured using LIDAR.

The 63-year-old went on the run during the investigation, but was later apprehended and jailed for 18 months after a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court in February 2024.

Main drone image is a file picture for illustrative purposes.