Spring is blooming — so is the rubbish!

SPRING is the season which brings new life to the countryside but it also brings an unsightly and unwanted crop — urban rubbish.

'Spring cleaning should not involve finding the nearest country lane, gateway or hedgerow to dump unwanted rubbish — and we want the public to help us tackle this growing menace,' said a spokesman for the Country Landowners Association.

Fly tipping of both domestic and commercial rubbish has become an increasing problem for farmers and landowners who are now turning detective to help beat the menace of illegal rubbish dumping.

'Although local authorities provide facilities for disposing of domestic rubbish, including large items such as old fridges or cookers, these continue to turn up in the countryside, along with garden rubbish and black sacks full of unwanted domestic refuse,' said a CLA spokesman.

'The high cost of disposing of builders' rubble has aggravated the problem — but the countryside is not a free refuse tip, somebody has to clear up behind these people and somebody has to meet the cost, very often it is the landowner or farmer.'

Now the CLA is calling on the public, as well as landowners to help beat the fly tipping menace by calling the Environment Agency's free hotline — 0800 80 70 60 — to report incidents of fly tipping.