Local farmers and landowners have been told to take extra steps to protect themselves against fly-tipping as cases have risen nearly 12 per cent in Warwick district.

According to data from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), there were 1,680 recorded fly-tipping incidents in the region in 2020/21, up from 1,505 in the 12 months before.

But there was not a single conviction for fly-tipping in the area during that period, with just 84 warning letters handed out.

And with private landowners having to pay to remove dumped waste from their land, rural insurance broker Lycetts is telling farmers to take steps.

"Incidents not only pose significant environmental and human health risks, but also a legal and financial burden for farmers and landowners," said Lycetts' Rupert Wailes-Fairbairn.

"Although local authorities will usually pay the clean-up costs of clearing waste from public land, the responsibility for removing waste from private land falls squarely at the feet of the landowners. If they fail to do so, they can face prosecution."

The number of fly-tipping incidents in Warwick district per 1,000 people is also almost three times that of neighbouring Stratford.

In 2020/21 there were 11.6 incidents per 1,000 people in Warwick, compared to just 4.6 in the south of the county.

Clean-up bills per incident average around £1,000, according to the National Rural Crime Network, but large-scale incidents can cost upwards of £10,000.

So Lycetts is telling local landowners to make it as hard as possible for criminals to access their land this winter.

"For those at risk of being targeted during these dark winter evenings, extra vigilance and a review of security measures is prudent," added Wailes-Fairbairn.

"Prevention is better than cure and steps should be taken to ensure access to land and fields is restricted, where possible, with physical barriers.

"Gates should be locked when not in use and although witnesses of fly-tipping incidents should not approach the perpetrators, by cutting back hedges and installing exterior lighting, visibility for the landowner can be notably improved.

"The installation of security cameras can also act as a deterrent and help in securing successful prosecutions."