A Hertfordshire farmer has been forced to pay out thousands of pounds after clearing 40 tonnes of illegally dumped waste from her land.
Eveey Hunter had to pay £6,000 for lorries to remove the rubbish, which she believes was dumped over several weeks by individuals who used her fields as a free tipping site.
Speaking to the BBC, Ms Hunter said that she rarely visits her fields at this time of year, allowing the waste to accumulate unnoticed.
She told the broadcaster: "They’ve been effectively using it as a free tip and going through the effort of shutting the gate every time so we wouldn’t notice."
Councils dealt with well over 1 million fly-tipping incidents on public land alone last year, a rise of 6%, with calls for the government to act tougher on the crime.
However, the official figures only account for waste illegally dumped on public land that has been reported to the authorities.
Rural campaigners frequently point out that many fly-tipping incidents occur on private land, painting an even more damaging picture of the financial burden and environmental impact it brings.
Ms Hunter said to the BBC: "We're going to have to foot that bill and farmers all over the country will feel my frustration on that."
After inspecting the litter, she found addresses linked to various building companies and construction sites, suggesting the waste originated from them.
She visited these locations and discovered that some had failed to properly vet the contractors hired to dispose of their waste.
"I think the education really needs to start back at the source of where the rubbish is coming from," Ms Hunter said.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) recently warned that the countryside was increasingly being targeted by organised gangs, who often dumped rubbish on farmland.
“It’s not just litter blotting the landscape, but tonnes of household and commercial waste which can often be hazardous – even including asbestos and chemicals," noted CLA President Victoria Vyvyan.
"People, communities and businesses deserve to feel safe and protected, and the first place to start must surely be ending the chronic under-funding of rural police forces."
