Organised crime is working with the construction industry to illegally fly-tip tens of thousands of tonnes of building rubble around Britain, avoiding millions of pounds of landfill taxes and costing landowners large amounts to clear up.

The gangs scout available land in advance, work with two-way radios, and may descend on a site with 30 or more unidentifiable lorries in a few hours, says the Environment Agency, which is increasingly concerned over a huge rise in fly-tipping incidents.