Farmer finds 40 tonnes of rubbish dumped on his land in Lincolnshire

A farmer who found 40 tonnes of rubbish blocking a track to his field says fly-tipping is happening on an “industrial” scale.

Andrew Ward runs a 1,600 acre farm near Sleaford in Lincolnshire and told Sky News that a similar pile of rubbish had cost a neighbouring farmer £3,500 to clear.

Since lockdown, fly-tipping has increased across the country and in some places it’s up by 300%, according to the Countryside Alliance.

The National Farmers’ Union says two thirds of farmers and land owners have been affected.

In Lincolnshire, there has been a spate of recent incidents on a “huge scale”.

“It really makes my blood boil to think that people will probably get away with this,” Mr Ward said.

“The fact that they can do this to a lovely area, where we have families walking, we have children walking down here, we have wildlife.

“There’s glass showing out of the sides here, sharp, you can cut your legs on, needles round the side. This type of thing really does get farmers really, really agitated because we’re the ones who have carry the brunt of it.

“It’s on an absolutely huge scale, this is not your one man and a van who turns up at a house, this is probably three lorry loads of commercial industrial waste.”

Mr Ward’s partner, Rhonda Thompson, is an NFU adviser in the county and said the problem has escalated since coronavirus hit.

She said: “With household waste and recycling centres having been closed throughout COVID-19, we’re expecting there to be a big spike in the statistics recorded for this year.

“Fly-tipping needs to be regarded as a much more serious crime and I think the penalties have to be fairly hefty. The fines that are currently around just aren’t enough to deter people from doing this.”

The Department for Food and Rural Affairs said that fly-tipping can lead to unlimited fines and a prison sentence of up to five years.

A spokesperson said: “During the coronavirus outbreak we have been working with the waste industry and local authorities to ensure that essential waste services have been provided to avoid the build-up of waste and protect public health.”

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

The MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, Dr Caroline Johnson, said that it was “an extremely difficult crime to detect” but the law needs to be enforced where possible.

“We need to look at it from every angle. The increasing fines for people who have allowed their waste to be taken away without ensuring it’s done properly, people who tip it themselves. Anyone that’s caught for this needs to face the full weight of the law and justice for it.”

(c) Sky News 2020: Farmer finds 40 tonnes of rubbish dumped on his land in Lincolnshire