Fly-tippers risked safety of calves in field

Farmer's daughter Tammy Williams discovered the cannisters littering the field when she went to do an early morning check on the herd.

It's not the first time the farm, in Royal Wootton Bassett, owned by her parents Sheena and James Pritchard, has been targeted. Tyres, sofas and kitchen appliances have all be abandoned there and the problem has got worse in lockdown.

She said: “I was not happy, when I went out there were loads of plastic cans everywhere probably from a chippy or doughnut place because they were oil-based cans but there were no logos on there.”

“It has made me angry, why do it? It’s just disrespectful and it could cause harm to our animals as well as other wildlife as they have had a sniff and a lick.”

People need to be made aware as lots of farmers have this problem,” Tammy said.

“People don’t want to pay for it to be disposed of so it gets dumped on our land or sometimes in a ditch nearby or on the side of the road. But it happens to all the farmers in the area. We have got to take time out to sort it as I had to go round and collect them all and dispose of them.

"But also the cattle have trampled on it too – it could harm the animals we just don’t know.”

“We haven’t reported it because nothing usually gets done about it and it just keeps happening.”

The National Farmers Union says the rising number of incidents is having a devastating impact on farming businesses across the country and is calling for more to be done to prevent fly-tipping.

Deputy president Stuart Roberts said: “I hear every day about industrial-scale amounts of rubbish such as builder’s rubble, old furniture, kitchen appliances and used tyres being dumped in fields.

"These crimes must be taken seriously. We need to understand the links to organised crime and commit to levelling up policing for both urban and rural areas to create a safer, cleaner and greener rural Britain.

“We would like to see the Environment Agency, police, local authorities, and farmers working together to tackle the problems. In some areas, these relationships work well but we want a more consistent approach across the whole country.”

“More also needs to be done to educate householders on their legal obligations of disposing rubbish and how they can better reduce, re-use and recycle their waste. Many people may not realise they are criminally liable for their rubbish being illegally dumped, even if someone else is responsible.

"It’s important government and local authorities take the lead in making people aware of their responsibilities.

“Offenders caught dumping waste illegally must also see the fines as a proper punishment and these must act as a deterrent.”

Cllr Dr Mark McClelland Wiltshire Council cabinet member for streetscene said: “We share the frustration of landowners and farmers with regards to these criminal acts of fly-tipping. We investigate all fly-tipping reports where evidence is present, such as within the waste or when an incident has been witnessed.

"Whilst Wiltshire Council seeks to prosecute where possible, the waste will need to be cleared up by the landowner as this incident has occurred on privately owned land.

“Everyone who produces, collects or disposes of any waste has a duty of care to lawfully manage it, including those who give their waste to others. Anyone who produces the waste should always check they are passing this on to responsible and legitimate waste collectors who hold a valid upper tier waste carriers licence.

"In addition, those handing over waste should also take down the vehicle details, a description of the people collecting the waste and always ask for a receipt or waste transfer note.

"If these checks or actions are not conducted, the person handing over the waste can be fined or prosecuted as well as those who actually dump the waste.

“The best thing someone can do if they find a fly-tip is report it to us using the MyWilts app, and our officers will investigate promptly: Wiltshire Council booking and reporting.”