A FARMER fed up with constant flytipping is pressing for CCTV cameras to be installed along the country lane concerned. Bill Barr says the problem has been a weekly occurrence along Hogg End Lane in St Albans since the road was closed to through traffic

A FARMER fed up with constant flytipping is pressing for CCTV cameras to be installed along the country lane concerned.

Bill Barr says the problem has been a weekly occurrence along Hogg End Lane in St Albans since the road was closed to through traffic three years ago because of bridge work associated with the M1 widening project.

Bill, who owns Butlers Farm along the lane, said: "It happens every week without fail. Obviously where lanes have been shut because of bridge work it makes a nice little run with no cars going up and down and they can just tip up without anyone noticing. Sometimes it's in the middle of the lanes and you can't get past."

He said when rubbish was dumped along the road it could take anything from two days to two weeks for the council to remove it.

Even worse said Bill, who is the county chairman of the National Farmers' Union, was that asbestos was often dumped on his land which meant it became his responsibility and it cost him hundreds of pounds to remove it.

Bill is so fed up with the problem that he is now pressing for cameras to be installed along the road as a deterrent to the flytippers.

He said: "It is a problem in the whole country but in this affluent area of the south east it is even more of a problem as people pay somebody to get rid of rubbish. Most people don't realise, they just give somebody £100 to take their rubbish away but the first place they find out of St Albans they tip up and go. It's an easy way to make money."

A district council spokesperson said that the lane was checked regularly and that any rubbish was cleared as soon as possible.

With regards to the camera, she said: "The council has a mobile CCTV camera for monitoring flytippers, but there are many flytipping hotspots in the district. We have recently upgraded our mobile CCTV camera and for this reason it has been out of commission for several months. We are now actively analysing flytipping incidents to ensure that we deploy the camera in the most effective and efficient way, and in the most prolific flytipping sites around the district."

If anyone witnesses flytipping they should take as many details as possible such as registration numbers of vehicles and locations and contact the council on their hotline number 0845 125 8000 or email the details to clientservices@stalbans.gov.uk