If you discover fly-tipped waste please follow these simple do's and don'ts:

• Do not touch the waste: please be aware that some waste is dangerous and may contain sharp objects, and hazardous materials like asbestos or chemicals.
• Do not open any black bags, boxes or containers.
• Visually inspect the waste: try to determine what the waste consists of and how much there is.
• Take note of its exact location, or the nearest landmark.
• Do not disturb the site: there may be evidence that could help identify the culprits and lead to their prosecution.
• If the fly-tipping is blocking the road please also contact Hampshire County Council as well as taking the other appropriate actions

Please do not remove anything from the fly-tip site.  It is vital that all the evidence is left at the site for council officers to investigate.  If any evidence is removed, it could damage any potential prosecution case taken by the council.

If you see someone fly-tipping we need your help to take that person to task and to try and put a stop to this sort of illegal activity. If you do see something, the information on what you've seen can help us catch the culprit.

But it is important to remember that fly-tippers are committing a crime and they do not want to be caught. Please do not approach them.

The following types of information could be a big help in us tracing the offenders and possibly taking legal action against them.

• The day, date and time of the incident you saw.
• Make, model, colour and registration number of vehicle involved, and any company details on the vehicle.
• Details of what was being fly-tipped e.g. household waste, garden rubbish, broken furniture, white goods.
• How much was dumped, e.g. black sacks, contents of a car boot, van load?
• How many people were involved and what they looked like.

Please do not put yourself at any risk if you witness an incident. Your personal safety is always more important than anything else.

You can report an incident by:

• Filling out an online report - click here
• Using the Your Winchester app (if you do not have it, it is available on either iPhone or Android)

Alternatively, if you are unable to use the online report (or via the MyWinchester App) you can contact the Customer Services Team on 0300 300 0013

All Householders have a duty of care to dispose of their waste correctly, this includes checking that any companies or individuals that are contracted to dispose of the waste are registered with a Waste Carriers License and that the householder receives a copy of the Waste Transfer Note.

• Suspect all waste carriers and request proof of registration

• Check that the waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency's website

• Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away

• Ask how your rubbish will be disposed of and seek evidence of this

• Paperwork must be obtained including a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier's contact details

Sample documents and useful website links are available on the right hand side of this page.