The NFU member estimates that more than 40 lorry loads of rubbish were dumped on his arable farm on the outskirts of St Albans over the course of three nights and is worried about the financial and environmental impact.
With farmers and landowners often legally responsible for removing rubbish, despite being the victim of the crime, the farmer, who wants to remain anonymous, estimates he could be faced with a bill of more than £40,000 and has concerns for wildlife on his farm following the incident.
“We need to see more arrests and convictions and the full extent of the law used to properly punish the people who do this.”
NFU member Will Dickinson
He said: “It is just devastating. This is not covered by insurance and there is just no way that I am going to be able to pay this – I don’t know what I am going to do.
“There is a week’s work here to clear it all as well. I have fly-tipping here every week, but I’ve never had it on this scale.
“Farming is hard enough at the moment, and I know many other farmers in Hertfordshire who have had industrial scale fly-tips on their land. The situation is getting worse and it disrupts our ability to produce food and care for the countryside.”
NFU calls for urgent meeting with council leaders
Asbestos, cannabis waste, timber and office furniture are among the items left on the farm.
The rubbish has ruined an area of land that had been set aside to provide food for farmland birds and improve their numbers through SFI.
Hertfordshire farmers have been plagued by fly-tipping for many years, with organised criminal gangs dumping industrial scale tips on farms on a regular basis.
The NFU is calling for an urgent meeting with the leaders of all of Hertfordshire’s district councils. It is also working closely with Hertfordshire Police, the PCC (Police and Crime Commissioner) and Environment Agency, and is applying for funding for the farmer through the PCC’s fly-tipping fund, which is used to help victims of the crime.
In addition, the NFU has written to St Albans MP and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper to raise awareness of the recent incident.
Out of control
NFU County Adviser for Hertfordshire Josh Redford the incident was “shocking”, and “all too common in Hertfordshire”.
“The NFU is taking a very proactive approach to address this and is working closely with local authorities and stakeholders.
“We are determined to fight for our members and ensure the people responsible are brought to justice, at the same time deterring others from carrying out this serious and damaging crime.”
Photograph: NFU Hertfordshire County Adviser Josh Redford, and NFU member and neighbouring arable farmer Will Dickinson.
NFU Mutual's recently published rural crime report shows that the cost of rural crime in Hertfordshire rose by 15.5% in 2024 to £1.23m. This is despite the overall cost of rural crime across the UK falling by 16.5%.
NFU member Will Dickinson, who runs a neighbouring arable farm, has been hit by fly-tipping himself on countless occasions and is supporting the farmer dealing with this incident.
He said: “Fly-tipping in Hertfordshire is completely out of control. The local authorities are doing their best, but they need to be better resourced.
“We need to see more arrests and convictions and the full extent of the law used to properly punish the people who do this. When they are caught the fly-tippers are often given a fine which is less than the cost of a skip.
“The farmers, who are the victims of the crime, are left to pay thousands of pounds clearing the waste, which is completely unfair and a travesty of justice.
“This has far-reaching consequences and is a blight on our countryside.”
Link to organised crime
Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards said the incident was “outrageous”, adding that while local councils have the lead responsibility for the investigation and prosecution, the police will support councils and the the Environment Agency with intelligence capabilities.
“This collaborative approach is essential,” he added.
“Fly-tips of this magnitude are often linked to organised crime gangs, who profit significantly from these illegal activities. I fully support the maximum possible sentences being imposed on offenders when they are brought before the courts.
“To support the clean-up of this site and help prevent future incidents, I am exploring whether this incident is eligible for support through the fly-tipping fund operated by my office.”
The NFU believes the whole system needs to tackle fly-tipping at the source – from packaging design, recycling, landfill tax and tip opening hours – to make it easier for the public to reduce, re-use and recycle waste.
