Farmer demands action on flytippers

Andrew Ward, who farms in the village, had recently taken to Twitter to complain about illegal dumping in beauty spots near Cranwell.

This time he came across a large heap at Leadenham Heath dumped on a farm track on Wednesday night, while a smaller one had been left in a layby at the bottom of Leadenham Hill, including asbestos sheets and a large plastic cockerel. Again posting a video on social media, he called upon Sleaford MP Dr Caroline Johnson to take action, saying: “This is on a huge scale, this is not your one man and a van who turns up to a house. This is probably three lorry loads of commercial industrial waste.

“This is blocking access to fields and it is just ridiculous we have to put up with this type of activity in the countryside. What is wrong with people? This stuff is blighting the countryside and then having to be disposed of.”

He wondered whether the government understood or cared what was happening nationwide: “The government should make sentences stiffer, allow councils to seize vehicles/lorries used in fly tipping and crush them. Tips should be open more and made easier for waste to be processed - household and commercial.”

He suggested a custodial or community service as a deterrent, as well as getting the flytippers to clean it up. Mr Ward mainly blamed unlicensed waste carriers, calling at homes to take rubbish away for cash.

District council officers have been out to the sites and clearance is in hand.

Dr Johnson replied: “I’ve approached the responsible minister regarding fly tipping in general and will have further discussions regarding any required legislative/Parliamentary changes.”