Farmers want tougher sanctions for fly-tippers after increasing numbers are discarding waste on their land.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has asked farmers to send in pictures and videos of illegal dumping to illustrate the extend of the problem across the UK.
“The quicker we tackle this continual blight on our countryside, the quicker farmers can concentrate on what they do best – caring for the environment and producing the nation’s food,” said the NFU.
A deluge of photos have already been sent to the NFU showing household waste, building material blocking country lanes and black bin bags discarded in hedgerows.
The NFU has the response from farmers had been phenomenal.
A video has been created using the images which will be shared across social media to show politicians and the public the “true-scale of fly-tipping”.
NFU deputy president Stuart Roberts added: “Every day, I hear how farmers’ fields are being bombarded with rubbish being illegally dumped.
“It’s extremely costly and time-consuming to remove, is dangerous to human health and harmful to wildlife and livestock.
“The NFU’s new Levelling up rural Britain report highlights how farms and rural communities have increasingly become the target of criminal gangs, with those areas continuing to receive lower levels of police funding, per head of population, than urban areas.”
LSL News.