Fed-up farmers reveal extent of fly-tipping in countryside
This article features an increasing scourge which is a real threat to rural local authorities and farmers. It tells us:
Farmers have shared pictures and videos of fly-tipping as part of renewed efforts to illustrate the extent of the problem in the countryside and force tougher sanctions for offenders.
A tweet from the NFU asking for evidence of waste dumped illegally has prompted replies from dozens of fed-up farmers.
A deluge of pictures showed building material blocking country lanes, black bin bags discarded in hedgerows, and even a small boat on a trailer, left on the side of the road.
The NFU said: “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.”
NFU deputy president Stuart Roberts said: “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.”