Darwen farmer warns of the dangers of fly tipping on farm animals

Rebecca Fielding, and her family regularly get rubbish dumped on their fields and lanes at Pulford Farm Dairies, which cause a significant risk to animals.

Fly tipping occurs at the farm all year round where people mindlessly throw metal cans out of car windows or dump bin bags in the lanes.

Rebecca said she is concerned about her animals, and it is really easy for people to use local waste disposal sites.

She said: “I think a lot of the time people load a load of stuff into their cars to take it down to the tip, or they don’t know where to take it to, and say if the tip won’t let them in because they don’t have their ID on them, they just drive it home and chuck it out.

“It’s because they can’t be bothered.

“Sometimes I think it is people who have house clearances done and they use not very reputable removal guys maybe.

A flock of sheep at Pulford Farm Dairies, Fielding family farm (Image: Rebecca Fielding)

“Fly tipping can happen in phases and you get it week after week and then you might not get any for a couple of months, so it does vary.

“We get things dumped down our lane on quite a regular basis because it is quite dark down there.

“I think it is also about educating people.”

Rebecca said the fly tipping can injure animals and it can get into the animal feed which is a cause for concern.

She said: “You can get all sorts in bin bags that they dump, it can be poisonous, plastic, glass and metal.

“Lambs are stupid for eating plastic and chewing on stuff and we also get a lot of stuff wrapped around our animals’ feet sometimes, it can be bits of plastic that get stuck between their hooves.

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“Another big problem we have is when people drive along, and they will just chuck a can or a glass bottle into the field or into the hedgerow.

“That is really bad because we have a lot of fields we use for mowing, so we grow the grass long and the cans end up in the grass.

"We will come along with a tractor and the mower and mow the grass, and then that will either will be picked up and put into big bales or it will be picked up with a chopper, chopped up and blown into trailers which goes into the silage clamp which is the food we use for animals in the winter.

“When cans go through the chopper, it chops the metal as well as the grass and you get pieces of metal in your hay and silage and your cows can eat that and that can be a right mess.

“There are quite a lot of dangers and I don’t think people realise that it can make such a difference.

“We feed 160 cows at a time and the metal can be easily missed.

Calves on farm eating hay (Image: Rebecca Fielding)

“We also have a lot of deer here and I have seen rubbish wrapped around and plastic cups wrapped around their feet.

“I’m concerned about the fly-tipping and if people know more about where they can go to get rid of their household waste, it might just stop a few people from tipping rubbish.

“The fly tipping is unsightly, and it looks awful, and I think it devalues your area, its frustrating because you think you don’t have to dump it there, you can take it to the tip, and it will be recycled.”

Rebecca said she wants people to be informed where they can go to remove waste rather than dumping it.

Darwen Spring Vale Road household waste recycling centre is open six days a week apart from Tuesdays.

Residents can attend the tip if they take proof that they live in the borough.

This can include a current council tax bill or a current utility, mortgage, bank or credit card statement.

Residents are required to produce a permit if they wish to dispose of construction or DIY waste, and a permit if using a van, pickup or trailer.

To find out the local household waste disposal sites, go to Blackburn with Darwen Council's website.