People caught allowing ‘cowboys’ to fly-tip waste face fines of up to £400.

The Government plans would see the fines imposed on people who are caught using ‘unauthorised waste carriers’ to take away rubbish which is later found dumped unlawfully.

The move has been welcomed by landowners organisation CLA who revealed it costs on average £800 to clean up each load of illegally dumped rubbish.

Its president Tim Breitmeyer said: “Fly-tipping is not a victimless crime. It affects almost two thirds of private landowners and blights the countryside. We are fed up of clearing away other people’s rubbish and paying for the privilege.

Fly tipping Binn Lane, Marsden

“We have had a robust response from the Government to our fly-tipping action plan designed to tackle this anti-social behaviour so that farmers and landowners are not unfairly out of pocket.

“Enforcing fines for home and business owners whose waste is found in fly-tipped locations is just one area our plan focused on, so we are pleased to see this form part of the Government’s proposals to act as a deterrent and encourage waste disposal through legal channels.

“The Government, local authorities and the Environment Agency must work together with farmers and landowners to help reduce fly-tipping on private rural land. It’s a vicious cycle of costly clean-ups by the victims who bear the burden of waste crime. We would like to see alternatives explored to clear up and support victims so that private landowners are not liable for waste dumped on their land.

“Only through co-ordinated and collective effort can we push back against this scourge that is damaging our countryside and rural economy.”

CLA Director North Dorothy Fairburn said: “The estimated average cost to rural businesses of this anti-social behaviour is £800 per incident and is a continuing and damaging blight on our countryside. In addition, landowners are liable for any waste that is fly-tipped on their land and can be prosecuted if they do not clear it away, often at considerable cost to their business.

“We want a more effective legal system to deal with offenders more robustly and urge councils to exercise their powers in prosecuting fly-tippers. The maximum fine is £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a magistrates’ court, but this is never enforced. If it was, it might deter fly-tippers. Frequently, it costs more to bring an offender to court than the penalty actually imposed.”