Just four fines issued for wood-burning complaints in a year in England

In smoke-control areas, people can only burn wood and other unauthorised fuels in government-approved stoves and other appliances. Photograph: Andy Nash/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Only four fines out of 5,600 complaints have been issued for illegal burning of wood in smoke-control areas from September 2023 to August 2024 in England, data has revealed.

The new data, from freedom of information requests submitted by the campaign group Mums for Lungs, shows that the law around illegal wood burning is not being enforced in England, campaigners said.