Video: Fed-up farmers take on white van fly-tippers

Fed-up farmers took the law into their own hands when they caught white van men illegally dumping rubbish on their land at night.

A video – which has been uploaded to the “Machinery and Construction” Facebook page on 1 May, alongside the caption “Bloody fly-tippers – watch until the end” – shows two men unloading industrial waste from the back of their white van on a grass verge next to hedging.

But the fly-tippers are disturbed by a group of farmers who suddenly arrive on the scene in a 4×4 and a telehandler.

See also: Video – farms turned into fortresses to tackle rural crime

One burly farmer is seen wrestling one of the offenders to the ground before striking him on the backside with one of the discarded wooden planks.

Another farmer uses the telehandler to flip the white van onto its side as the second offender scarpers away.

A third person films the whole incident on a mobile phone from inside a farm vehicle. It is believed to have taken place around midnight in Essex on 1 May.

The incident highlights the frustration many farmers feel, including the perception of a lack of protection and support from police and the courts to deter fly-tippers from dumping their waste in the countryside.

More than one million people have viewed the video, which has received 3,300 comments and been shared more than 24,000 times.

The farmers have come in for support from Facebook users, but others have pointed out that they could be prosecuted for their actions.