DVSA launches crackdown on drivers breaking laws as motorists risk having vehicles seized

The DVSA and the Environment Agency have taken part in a crackdown on waste crime, with the organisations vowing to take "robust enforcement action".

On July 6 and 7, Environment Agency officers stopped vehicles carrying waste in Carlisle, in addition to the inspection of three waste sites.

The traffic checks were focused on whether drivers were lawfully transporting waste, ensuring that they had the correct licences and paperwork.

Alongside the DVSA and Cumberland Council, the Environment Agency identified several significant breaches.

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This included a number of waste carriers being stopped after being found flouting legal requirements when carrying waste.

The Environment Agency confirmed that it would continue its investigations into connected waste sites, as well as vowing to take "robust enforcement action" against lawbreakers.

Aaron Wood, an Environment Agency Waste Team Leader in Cumbria and Lancashire, said: "Waste crime causes real harm to communities and together with other agencies we are determined to stop it.

"Joint partnership operations such as this helps us disrupt operations across the waste sector and gather intelligence.

"Where we find evidence of suspected illegal activity or breaches of regulation, we will not hesitate to take action."

It also worked alongside the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to check waste sites.

The checks involved ensuring the sites were meeting the conditions of their environmental permits, with the potential for follow-up action.

The agency has also taken action in Bradford after investigating a waste site, prompting them to seize a heavy goods vehicle connected to the site.

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The HGV was seized between Todmorden and Bacup on the border of Yorkshire and Lancashire as the Environment Agency works to track down those involved in illegal waste.

It claimed that the HGV was suspected of being involved in "waste movements" connected to an illegal dump on Midland Road.

The site was first reported at the start of the month, as officers estimate that several thousand tonnes of mixed household and commercial waste had been dumped.

Ben Hocking, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Our investigation into this disgusting illegal dumping continues at pace.

"We are following a number of leads and this has included seizing an HGV connected to waste movements.

"Waste crime will not be tolerated and we'll continue to work closely with our partners to track down those involved."

It comes just months after the Government announced plans to strip fly-tippers of their driving licence and impose between three and nine penalty points.

Changes to the Policing and Crime Act outline that drivers illegally dumping rubbish could be slapped with nine points for a single incident, with motorists losing their licence if they accumulate 12 or more points within three years.

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