An MP has called for more jail sentences and “significant fines” for those who fly-tip following incidents which have caused a “genuine risk to life”.
Lichfield’s Labour MP Dave Robertson spoke out after an enormous pile of rubbish was dumped on Watery Lane, Staffordshire, cutting off access for local residents and businesses.
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He said: “We need swift investigation and tough sentencing to deter criminals who commit industrialised rural crime.
“I believe the investigation has to end not only with significant fines – but we really do need to start considering custodial sentences for people like this.”
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Dave Robertson said: ‘We need swift investigation and tough sentencing to deter criminals who commit industrialised rural crime’
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The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) estimates that at least two-thirds of farmers have been affected by fly-tipping, and the clear-up costs the industry tens of millions of pounds a year.
Fly-tipping is also an entry-level into crime for criminals and gangs, the Countryside Alliance (CA) said.
Farmers and landowners often bear the cost of removing the waste. Country Land and Business Association Regional Director Ann Maidment said: “On average they pay £1,000 to remove the waste.”
“In some cases they have paid up to £100,000 to clear up other people’s mess or risk facing prosecution themselves,” she added.
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And the problem is also rife in more urban areas. In nearby Stoke-on-Trent, the local authority recently held a high profile campaign to clamp down on illegal dumping in the city, called Illegal Dumping In Our Towns (IDIOT).
Since it launched in June 2023, more than 7,600 incidents of fly-tipping have been reported.
Councillor Ian Fordham, Cabinet Member for Environment, for nearby Stafford Borough Council, said: “Fly tipping, littering and other environmental crimes are a blight on our communities.
“They can cause environmental damage, they attract anti-social behaviour, make areas look untidy, and have an adverse impact on the quality of life for our residents.”
People are encouraged to only use licenced contractors from the Environment Agency (EA) to take waste away.
If your waste is found fly-tipped, you must provide evidence of the contractor you hired to deal with it.
Farmers and landowners often bear the cost of removing the waste
PA
A ‘genuinely staggering’ amount of dumped rubbish left nine households trapped in Lichfield
PA
Using unlicensed dumpers could result in a fine of up to £5,000 and a criminal record.
Last week, a “genuinely staggering” amount of dumped rubbish left nine households trapped and forced 20 businesses to close as the waste blocked their only access route.
Robertson said: “This was not a few tyres out the back of a transit, This was an industrial scale, enormous fly-tip, which meant that the lane was completely unpassable from the north.”
“This incident caused a genuine risk to life, because emergency services could not have accessed the lane.”
The humongous amount of dumped waste included building rubble, fencing, huge amounts of plastic as well as shoes, a hairdryer and several England flags.
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