Fife farmer calls for more police action to tackle fly-tipping scarring countryside

A Fife farmer has called on the police to do more to tackle the growing problem of fly-tipping.

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Farmer and owner of the Buffalo Farm Kirkcaldy Steve Mitchell (Pic: George McLuskie)Farmer and owner of the Buffalo Farm Kirkcaldy Steve Mitchell (Pic: George McLuskie)
Farmer and owner of the Buffalo Farm Kirkcaldy Steve Mitchell (Pic: George McLuskie)

Steve Mitchell, who runs the Buffalo Farm, hit out after finding furniture abandoned just yards from a previous incident which led him to warn he would dump a tractor load of buffalo dung at the premises of the business owner responsible.

The items ditched included a bed, and a video posted on Facebook has already produced a result.

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The manufacturer, Nimbus Beds of Thornton, has commented to say it has tracked the reference number.

Mr Mitchell has set up a new Facebook page in a bid to protect the countryside - and get action.

He called on people to get involved to help force change.

He hit out: “It is a very very small minority who think this is acceptable behaviour, and it is time we did something about it.”

Mr Mitchell, owner of The Buffalo Farm in Auchtertool, launched the page with a video showing the latest fly-tipping - this time at the entrance to a farm where he uses a shed to keep his buffalo.

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It happened just 500 yards from the previous incident, and shows items of furniture dumped overnight.

He said: “This is not cool. It is selfish, short sighted and not how we should be acting.”

He also highlighted another incident reported by a neighour which, he said, underlined the need for stronger police action.

He said: “The police need to step up a bit

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“I was really gutted that when my neighbour came across a terrible fly tipping of a lorry load of sand which a car could have driven into. The police said it was a council matter.

“We had the number plate of the car - and they were not interested

“That isn’t the individual officer’s fault, but we have to put pressure from above and make this a priority."

He added: “It is blighting the countryside which we are famous for. It won’t stay tidy if people carry on like this.”

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Mr Mitchell added: “We don’t have to do this., There are solutions.”

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