Outrage after major fly-tip creates 'serious hazard' in the Harborough district
A huge load of waste was dumped directly onto the public highway in the Harborough district, “completely blocking the road and creating a serious hazard for motorists, a council has said.
The incident happened in Ashby Road, Ashby Parva, near Ullesthorpe Playing Field.
The Conservative group on Harborough District Council (HDC), which is run by a Labour/Lib Dem/Green coalition, said the fly-tipping was “criminal behaviour”. It added that the tipping was “carried out with complete disregard for public safety”.
HDC’s Lib Dem leader, Councillor Phil Knowles, warned that the authority could issue fixed penalty notices of up to £400 to offenders. He said the council also used CCTV surveillance “to gather evidence and deter repeat offenders”, and its enviro-crime team conducts daily patrols in “hotspot” areas.
A spokesperson for the Conservative group said: “This was not a minor act of littering. It was a deliberate dumping of a lorry-load of waste directly onto the public highway, completely blocking the road and creating a serious hazard for motorists, cyclists, and horse riders. This is criminal behaviour, carried out with complete disregard for public safety.”
They said that the incident was “not an isolated case”. Nearby roads had also been the subject of illegal dumping over the past few weeks, and “residents are right to be angry”, they added.
“Fly-tipping in Harborough has got out of control. It is a danger to road users, an environmental disaster for our countryside, and a huge cost to local taxpayers. Residents are sick of excuses — they want to see real enforcement, prosecutions, and deterrence.”
In response, Cllr Knowles said: “We are firmly committed to tackling environmental crime across the Harborough district. Fly-tipping is a blight in our communities and horrible to see in our beautiful countryside and rural district area.
“I have visited the site of the recent fly-tip near Ashby Parva with Ullesthorpe ward councillor Rosita Page. Proposals for additional resource, to support our on-going deterrence and enforcement activity with regards to fly-tipping, are also being developed for consideration by Cabinet.
“We are constantly trying to find new and additional ways to reduce and prevent this illegal activity and we will prosecute whenever we have the appropriate evidence. There was a reduction in fly-tipping reports between 2023/24 to 2024/25, with a 59 per cent decrease in incidents since launching our ‘Tip-Off’ campaign in 2016, but incidents are regrettably still happening.
“Our enviro-crime team conducts daily vehicle and foot patrols in hotspot areas and actively engages with local communities and landowners to improve visibility, install deterrents, and encourage prompt reporting. We use CCTV surveillance to gather evidence and deter repeat offenders and can issue fixed penalty notices of up to £400 for fly-tipping offences.”
To report fly-tipping, residents can use the Tip-Off form on the HDC website.