Farmer pays to clear 40 tonnes of fly-tipped waste

A farmer had to spend thousands of pounds to remove 40 tonnes of fly-tipped waste from her land.

Eveey Hunter said she believed the rubbish had been dumped in fields on her Hertfordshire farm in several trips over a series of weeks.

"We don't tend to go into the fields until this time of year so it's accumulated without us knowing," she said.

"I think it's probably a few people who know each other, 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."

The farmer had to spend £6,000 for two flat-bed lorries to remove the mess.

"We're going to have to foot that bill and farmers all over the country will feel my frustration on that," she said.

The National Farmers' Union estimated that at least two thirds of farmers across the country have been affected by fly-tipping.

"With farmers and landowners often legally responsible for removing the rubbish, despite being the victim of the crime, the clear-up costs the industry tens of millions of pounds a year," said a spokesperson.

After examining the litter Ms Hunter found addresses for various building companies and construction sites the rubbish appeared to originate from.

She visited these places and discovered some did not carry out proper checks on who they had hired to remove their waste.

"Some of them didn't know what a waste transfer note was... I think the education really needs to start back at the source of where the rubbish is coming from," she said.

Businesses need a document such as a waste transfer note or similar signed document before any non-hazardous waste can be moved off their premises.

Hertsmere Borough Council said it had referred the case to the Environment Agency and was pursuing enforcement proceedings.

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