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Dozens of councils have all but abandoned litter enforcement, issuing no fines last year and allowing offenders to act with impunity, campaigners have warned. At least 71 local authorities handed out zero fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) for littering in 2024-25, while a further 67 issued fewer than 10, according the Clean Up Britain campaign.

John Read, founder of Clean Up Britain, said: "In large swathes of the country, there is eco-anarchy. Anyone can litter with complete impunity and no fear of being caught and convicted." Eighteen councils have no fining policy whatsoever, including Chichester, Exeter, Southwark, Southampton and Wirral. Another 54 have policies but enforced none.

The figures, uncovered through Freedom of Information requests submitted by The Guardian, paint a damning picture. Councils collected less than £48m from around 200,000 litter FPNs - a tiny sum compared with £867m raised from parking offences by just 300 authorities.

Only 77 of the 301 councils that responded issued more than 100 litter fines. Labour-controlled councils issued 77% of all penalties, and the 10 highest enforcers were all Labour-run. The average fine stood at a meagre £192.

Keep Britain Tidy's research last year found just nine out of 100 English sites were litter-free.

Mr Read insisted tougher action would pay dividends. Mr Read said: "Levying fines would not only stem the rising tide of rubbish but could be a source of revenue for cash-strapped councils." He is lobbying to raise the maximum fixed penalty from £500 to £1,000.

Mr Read said: "The only sustainable solution is behavioural change. Many people will only change if they fear being caught and severely punished."

Littering remains a crime under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act, punishable by up to £2,500 in court.

The failure extends to fly-tipping, which reached record highs. Councils caught 77,000 offenders but issued just 26,000 £1,000 FPNs. Only half were paid, leaving £9.3m in revenue uncollected. About 30 councils issued none.

The Local Government Association (LGA) highlighted how court sentences often undercut council penalties. In York, two offenders each received £300 fines despite £600 and £1,000 FPNs. A Wiltshire fly-tipper who ignored a £1,000 notice was fined just £80. In Chelmsford, two offenders got £300 each after ignoring £400 penalties.

Arooj Shah, Labour councillor and LGA neighbourhoods committee chair, said: "Fly-tipping blights communities and costs taxpayers millions. When court fines are lower than fixed penalties, it undermines enforcement and fails as a deterrent."

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson defended the government's approach. The spokesperson said: "We are giving authorities the tools they need - digital waste tracking, drones, powers to crush vans and new statutory guidance to issue on-the-spot fines up to £500."

Meanwhile, Clean Up Britain is urging the public to fight back directly through its RoadVlog app, which lets users snap photos of litter-strewn verges, rate the mess and map hotspots in seconds to hold councils accountable.

The data exposes a nationwide enforcement vacuum at a time when litter and fly-tipping are visibly worsening. Without urgent action, the warnings of eco-anarchy risk becoming reality.