The National Farmers Union (NFU) has turned its sights, with the help of national television cameras, on the problem of flytipping, this week.

NFU deputy president, Stuart Roberts, joined TV presenter Michelle Ackerley for the BBC show Crimewatch Roadshow in the West Midlands.

The NFU believes that flytipping is a huge blight on the iconic British countryside, with the problem increasing as last figures published revealed local authorities in England dealt with more than one million incidents in 2018/19, an increase of eight per cent from the 998,000 incidents reported the previous year.

Mr Roberts joined the TV show at Enville Estate near Stourbridge in the West Midlands and featured a live interview with the presenter.

The 6,500-acre estate, on the urban fringes of Wolverhampton, has suffered from horrendous fly-tips over the years including one incident which cost nearly £7,000 to clean up.

When asked about the impact of fly-tipping Mr Roberts told the programme the union's fears over the programme.

He said: "The NFU believes around two thirds of all farmers suffer from some form of fly-tipping.

"And generally, there are three types; householders who just dump an old sofa in a field; big commercial operators dumping waste; and groups who claim to be carrying out household clearances.

“We’ve heard of farmers building ditches and moats and constructing barricades and cameras going up in rural areas to catch people.

"But it’s really important that the public also look out for this – if you see anyone dumping rubbish then report it. Ultimately, it’s all our responsibility that waste is being disposed of legally.”

Last November, a new national waste unit was launched by the Environment Agency to help in the fight against fly-tipping, involving the police and HMRC.

The NFU's ‘Rural Crime Hub’ is a one-stop shop for farmers to get information about the best prevention measures, how to report crime, including who to call, and exclusive business advice for NFU members.

Visit the hub for information on:

ACCESS: includes Activism, Illegal Encampment, Trespass and Fly-Grazing,

FLY-TIPPING: includes Large Scale and Hazardous Waste,

HARE COURSING: includes Poaching,

LIVESTOCK WORRYING: includes Dog Attacks and Illegal Sheep Butchering,

THEFT: includes Machinery, Fuel, Metal and Livestock.

For more details, head to www.nfuonline.com