Farmers barricade fly-tippers after catching them in the act

Quick-thinking farmers in Warwickshire have successfully barricaded two fly-tippers on their land, detaining them until police arrived on the scene and made them clean up their own mess.

Farmer Adam Beaty and his son caught two fly-tippers in the process of dumping large piles of commercial waste on Maxstoke Lane, at Packington Estate near Meriden, and blocked them in with machinery until police arrived on the scene.

See also: Farmers paying cost of fly-tipping, as prosecution rates drop

Officers detained both men for questioning and ordered them to reload the waste into their two white vans, before seizing both vehicles under the Environmental Protection Act.

© Warwickshire Police Operational Patrol Unit

The Operational Patrol Team (OPU) for Warwickshire Police described the incident, which happened on Wednesday 7 February, as “some of the worst fly-tipping [they] had seen in a long time”. 

Officers said they “enjoyed a great cup of tea and slice of cake” at the scene, courtesy of the farmer’s wife, but that there was no tea or cake for the two offenders. 

Attending officers from the Warwickshire Rural Crime Team will now oversee the investigation and prosecution case against the two men.