FlyCapture introduced
From April 2004 local authorities across England and Wales were asked to start populating the FlyCapture database developed by the Environment Agency on behalf of DEFRA. From April 2005 it became obligatory for all local authorities to send in monthly FlyCapture returns. In the summer of 2005 DEFRA reported that (using the data from FlyCapture) a fly tipping incident occurred every 35 seconds. If we acknowledge that there was under reporting in the first non-obligatory year than this statistic under estimates the number of incidents and their frequency.
FlyCapture has and is helping the Environment Agency and local authorities catch fly-tippers. You can keep up with the FlyCapture news on the Environment Agency's FlyCapture website. Registered users of FlyCapture will receive the Newsletter automatically. Initially, only local authorities reporting into the database could have access to the data but this has been relaxed to allow third party stakeholders access also. If you are not a registered user and you wish to gain access to the FlyCapture database email FlyCapture@Environment-Agency.gov.uk to apply for access.
When an incidence of fly tipping is reported to your Council the details should be logged on the FlyCapture database. The details should include the location of the incident, what was tipped and if available, the details of the vehicles involved. As a result authorities across the country using the database can see what neighbouring authorities have been dealing with.
Technical help available
Guidance from the Environment Agency is available to assist Local Authorities and their software suppliers. See also the Environment Agency's FlyCapture website.