Warning over Bank Holiday fly-tipping

LANDOWNERS have warned of the danger of “cowboy” fly-tippers dumping waste in the countryside.

The Country Land and Business Association is expecting an increase in waste tipped illegally during the Bank Holiday weekend (1-3 May). People should think twice before accepting offers from strangers to cheaply dispose of waste materials, it said.

The problem is expected to be worse in rural areas close to the region’s larger towns and cities.

CLA president William Worsley said: “Householders or builders with waste to dispose of can be tempted by people offering to do the job for cash in hand. These cowboys often take the waste and illegally dump it on private land rather than disposing of it legally.

Fly-tipping was a major problem for farmers and land managers all year round but the May Bank Holidays were a particularly bad time, said Mr Worsley.

“The owners of the land where waste is dumped have to remove it themselves, often at considerable cost. If this isn’t done quickly, more fly-tipping often takes place and the pile grows and grows.

“We are asking everyone with waste to dispose of it properly and legally.”

Many landowners were afraid of reporting fly-tipping incidents for fear of being fined or incurring heavy clean-up costs.

“Defra and the Environment Agency urgently need to review the ways in which landowners are able to recycle materials dumped on their property,” said Mr Worsley.

The CLA has long campaigned for action over the blight of fly-tipping. It wants the government to ensure local authorities accept fly-tipped waste at local tips easily and without charge to landowners.

It also wants local authorities to work with the police and other bodies on a zero-tolerance approach to the perpetrators of environmental crime.