MINISTERS are set to introduce stricter background checks for waste carriers after critics of the current system were proved right when a cow was legally approved to dispose of household rubbish.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said laws will be laid this week to require those who handle and transport waste to prove they are qualified to do so.

Operators found mishandling waste will face up to five years in prison under the new rules, part of a wider government crackdown on rogue waste operators and criminals after a recent surge in illegal dumping and flytipping.

Currently, waste carriers only need to register their information with the Environment Agency through a basic paper-based process with limited identity and background checks: a loophole that has allowed organised criminals, rogue operators and even animals to enter the system: the BBC recently reported that a cow called Beau Vine was successfully granted a licence.

The new system, due to come into force in 2027, will require applicants to undergo identity and criminal record checks and an online competency assessment before receiving a permit.