Cow registered as waste carrier to highlight flaws in application system
Beau Vine is now an upper tier waste carrier and dealer
A woman from Wiltshire says the fact that a cow can be registered as a legal disposer of waste highlights significant flaws that could be exploited by criminals.
Ann Maidment, who the South West Director of the Country Land and Business Association, successfully registered her cow, Beau Vine, to dispose of waste in just minutes.
She said the lack of ID requirements are alarming and open the door for criminals to dump waste.
Ann, who is a farmers daughter from a Malmesbury farm, said that the move was a response to a significant rise in fly tipping.
"We've seen from the stats that we're at record highs of dumping of waste in the countryside. And so we decided to investigate it a bit further and discovered that actually the waste licenses that are given out or that you can apply for are very simple to apply for," she said.
An open goal for criminals
Asked if she was surprised at how easy the process was, Ann revealed it wasn't a shock to her.
The process requires only a name, address and a small fee to be paid, without any need for photographic proof of identity with a drivers licence or a passport.
"We were a little bit shocked that it actually did work for a cow, but of course it could work for any spurious name," Ann told us.
She described it as a "licensing scandal", saying it opens up worrying opportunities for those breaking the law.
"It means that criminals can take advantage of this and they're able to pass themselves off as legitimate waste operators. They can charge members of the public and then just simply dump the waste in the countryside."
Damage of waste dumping
As well as being unsightly, fly tipping can be extremely hazardous to the environment, with Ann telling us there are several concerns around waste being dumped.
She said it costs farmers a lot of money, with nine out of 10 farmers having some kind of fly tipping incident last year, according to the CLA.
But there's also the damage it can cause to the environment and risks to animal welfare.
"It may look simply like bin bags of rubbish in some instances, but it could contain asbestos or industrial waste, which could impact, not just the animals, but also our rivers and water courses and our soils. So it's a huge concern," Ann said.
She's called for tougher penalties and more enforcement to recognise how serious the crime is.
Wiltshire Council is tackling fly-tipping and can apply a maximum Fixed Penalty Notice of £1,000 to an offender, but Ann believes more can be done.
"We know there are steps being made to help this happen, but we want to see more and we want to work closely with the Environment Agency and DEFRA and the local councils to make this happen and make it easier for everybody to find a cost effective way in order to have their waste removed and trust the people that are doing it," she said.
A Defra spokesperson said: “Waste crime is a scourge on local communities.
"We are working across government to wipe out illegal waste throughout the country and make those responsible pay including significant reforms to the carriers, brokers and dealers regime.
“We are directly supporting the Environment Agency to stop the exploitation of our waste system, including a £43 million boost to waste crime enforcement, and tougher sentences for those who break the law.”
Will Beau Vine actually be disposing of waste?
We asked Ann if Beau will be making use of her new license.
While she did say there have been requests for her to dispose of waste, Ann told us it's unlikely she will be able to put her new licence to use.
"She's very busy at the moment and about to be turned out for the summer. So I don't know whether she's going to have time, but she is trying not to let the fame go to her head at the moment!"