Members of the Shropshire branch of the NFU are calling on the Government to allocate more resources to tackle the growing problem of fly-tipping in the county.

The branch have also started compiling a dossier on fly-tipping incidents and hotspots to present as evidence.

Oliver Cartwright, NFU regional spokesman, said: “Farmers and growers are currently battling rubbish dumped on their fields and it is costing them thousands of pounds, spoiling the countryside, endangering livestock and blocking gateways into fields.”

The chair was found dumped on land belonging to farmer and NFU member John Whitfield, who farms at Cheswell Grange, Lilleshall, and also owns fields around Edgmond.

Dump

He said fly-tipping was a big problem and backed the NFU call for more to be done about it.

“Fly-tipping is always happening and people dump all sorts in front of gates, on the roadside, over hedges and in any little recess they can find,” Mr Whitfield said.

“I have seen around half a dozen cases this year.

“We have had a lorry load of building waste in the past and two tonnes of plastic driven and dumped in a field.

“You only have to have a quick drive around and you always see something that has been fly-tipped.”

Private landowners are urged to call NFU CallFirst on 0870 8400686 to report fly-tipping so a picture can be built up of hot-spot areas and the extent of the problem.

The information will then be passed on to the Environment Agency to build a region-wide database of the problems of fly-tipping on private land

NFU regional director David Collier added: “We hope the information collected on the database will help to put a case to Government to make extra resources available to tackle the problem.”

To find out more log onto www.nfuonline.com/wmidsflytip.xml

By Wayne Beese