AN agricultural expert is warning of the ‘hidden cost’ of flytipping, after it was revealed almost half a million pounds was spent on cleaning up Cheshire in 12 months.

Every January, councils see a surge in flytipping, with rogue residents and traders dumping post-festive waste, including old Christmas trees.

Figures from Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) released in October revealed that more than one million incidents of flytipping were dealt with by councils in England in 2016-17, costing taxpayers nationally £57.7 million to clear up.

In west Cheshire, there were 4,160 incidents in 2016/17 – up from 3,638 in 2015/16 – costing the council £253,269.

In east Cheshire, there were 3,037 incidents 2016/17 – up from 2,879 the previous year – costing the council £182,629.

However, DEFRA figures only account for flytipping incidents on council land, not private land.

William Nicholl, head of insurance specialist Lycetts’ rural division, warns that these figures, are not a true reflection of the cost of flytipping across the region.

He says farmers who fall prey to this crime are having to shoulder the burden.

They are responsible for meeting the cost of clearing rubbish from their land themselves – at an average cost of £1,000 per incident.

They are also liable if the dumped rubbish damages the countryside.

Mr Nicholl said: “Farmers are well aware of this issue and are saddened by the visual impact it has on the countryside they maintain, as well as it being a nuisance and inconvenience when trying to get on with their normal, daily jobs.

“However, I don’t think that farmers are as aware that, should they fail to deal with incidences of flytipping on their land and it leads to environmental damage, they could be held liable under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

“With many authorities looking at introducing charges for bulky waste and organic waste collections and charging for dumping waste at council-run tips, there is a fear that flytipping incidents on farmland will increase.”

He said that if farmers are unfortunate enough to have a flytipping ‘hotspot’ on their land, costs soon tot up and their business could be put in jeopardy.

He said: “Farmers are not only having to fork out for clean-up costs but are having to worry about the damage it can cause to workers and their animals.

“Flytipping can affect every part of their livelihood.”