Criminals target farmland with large-scale fly-tipping as clean-up costs soar

Criminals are forcing their way past locked gates to dump shredded waste on carefully selected sites, including farmers’ tracks and fields, lanes, industrial land, parkland and laybys. 

Peter Ewin, rural advisor for CLA East, said: “Illegal waste dumping is a blight on our countryside and a burden on rural businesses. The CLA urges landowners to take proactive steps heading into the darker months to secure their land, report incidents swiftly, and understand their legal responsibilities.” 

Affecting two-thirds of farmers, NFU and the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group have provided clear advice on how best to deal with fly-tipping on your land. 

The NFU said that although the union believes it should not be the sole responsibility of the landowner to deal with this crime, when incidents of fly-tipping take place on private land, it is the landowner’s responsibility to remove the illegally dumped waste.  

Local councils will not normally clear rubbish dumped on private land free of charge but they may investigate such incidents and, where appropriate, take enforcement action. 

The Environment Agency investigates the larger (more than a tipper load), organised (linked to criminal business practices), or hazardous (waste over 75L which have the potential to damage the environment) incidents of illegal dumping on public land. 

NFU and the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group advise that regardless of whether fly-tipping is found on public or private land, farmers should always report it to the relevant local authority – it may be that the culprit can be found or linked to other incidents. Local authorities also report their statistics nationally. 

Emma Viner, enforcement & investigations manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Just a quarter of waste crimes are reported to the Environment Agency, making it more difficult to know when and where we need to act. So, if you know or suspect illegal waste activity is taking place, you should tell us and we can continue our work to stop rogue operators and organised criminals in their tracks and force them to face justice.” 

What to do if you are a victim of fly-tipping 

If you discover fly-tipped waste on your land, use the following checklist: 

1) Exercise caution. Some fly-tipped waste can be hazardous. Do not open bags or drums, and be aware that piles of soil may be contaminated or hide dangerous material.

2) Record as many details as possible about the waste and when you found it. If possible, take a photograph of the waste. 

3) Report the incident – do not move the waste or remove any evidence from it until the authorities have been notified. 

4) Secure the waste so that it cannot be interfered with or added to. 

5) Remember that fly-tippers are doing something illegal – they are unlikely to welcome people observing them. Do not put yourself at risk – if fly-tipping is in progress, call 999. 

6) When arranging for disposal, ensure that you use a registered waste carrier, as if it is dumped elsewhere, you could be held responsible and face an unlimited fine.

7) Ensure that you get documentation which includes the details of the waste and who is taking it away. 

8) If you take the waste to a licensed waste site yourself, make sure you are registered as a waste carrier. 

9) If the waste is hazardous, then make sure that it is being carried and disposed of by those licensed to deal with hazardous waste. 

10) Keep full details of your clearance and disposal costs. Successful prosecution can mean that your costs incurred for the removal of the waste can also be recovered. 

If a crime is in progress dial 999. Dial 101 to report a crime after it has taken place. If it is a large-scale issue, you should also report the incident to the Environment Agency (for England) or NRW (for Wales).

How to protect land from the illegal dumping of rubbish? 

• Restricting access to your land by installing gates or physical barriers (strategically placed earth bunds, tree trunks, boulders, etc.) to prevent access to the land, ideally in keeping with the natural environment. Make sure that when erecting any form of barrier you are not permanently blocking  a public right of way 
• Make sure gates are closed and, if possible, locked when not in use 
• Improving visibility so that fly-tippers are not hidden from view. Fly-tippers prefer to commit their crimes out of sight 
• Install or improve lighting if possible 
• Consider placing appropriate deterrent signage and CCTV cameras 
• Swiftly clear any waste that is dumped to remove any encouragement for others to add to it 

Further information on how to prevent fly-tipping and the Fly-tipping Partnership Framework can be found on the NFTPG website. 

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