Farmers and rural landowners are being warned to tighten security this winter as organised waste crime gangs continue to target the countryside, dumping lorry loads of illegal rubbish on farmland and rural sites. These incidents often leave landowners facing clean-up bills that can exceed £6,000 per case, with some large-scale incidents costing significantly more.
The Environment Agency says criminals are exploiting darker winter evenings to force access through locked gates and tip shredded waste at carefully selected locations. Targeted sites include farm tracks, fields, country lanes, industrial yards, parkland and isolated laybys. By dumping waste illegally, offenders avoid legitimate disposal costs, while the financial, environmental and legal burden falls squarely on farmers and rural businesses.
According to NFU Mutual’s latest rural crime report, rural crime cost the UK £44.1 million in 2024, adding further pressure to already stretched farming communities. Illegal waste dumping remains one of the most disruptive and costly forms of rural crime.
To tackle the growing problem, the Environment Agency is working closely with local police forces, the NFU, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and local authorities. These organisations stress that intelligence-sharing and rapid reporting are vital, but emphasise that farmer vigilance remains the first line of defence.
Peter Lennard, an environment officer at the Environment Agency, urged farmers and landowners to remain particularly alert during the winter months. He encouraged regular land checks, identifying vulnerable access points, and installing physical barriers or CCTV cameras where possible. He warned that waste crime not only pollutes the environment but also undercuts legitimate waste businesses and causes significant disruption to rural communities.
Peter Ewin, rural adviser for CLA East, described illegal dumping as “a blight on our countryside and a burden on rural businesses”. He encouraged landowners to secure vulnerable sites ahead of winter, report incidents promptly, and ensure they understand their legal responsibilities when waste is dumped on their land.
Farmers on the ground are increasingly feeling the impact. George Gittus, NFU regional board vice-chair for the East of England and a farmer near Bury St Edmunds, said waste dumping is a widespread issue across the region, causing environmental damage and seriously disrupting farm operations. He warned that industrial-scale dumping incidents can leave individual farmers facing clean-up costs running into tens of thousands of pounds.
The Environment Agency is asking farmers and rural residents to report any suspicious activity, including unexpected HGV movements, activity at unusual hours, strange odours, or increased pests.
Anyone with information about illegal waste activity is urged to contact the Environment Agency’s confidential hotline on 0800 807060 to help stop offenders before more rural land is turned into an illegal dumping ground.