FLY-TIPPING on Salisbury Plain costs taxpayers more than £29,000 with hundreds of incidents reported each year, new figures have revealed.

There have been over 200 cases of fly-tipping on the Plain over the past 12 months, taking 642 man hours to clear up, according to Landmarc Support Services, which manages the area on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

The company has issued a plea to those thinking about dumping household waste and other rubbish on the plain to think again as members of the public could find themselves in danger.

Managing director Steve Utley said: “Salisbury Plain is one of the largest areas of military training land that we manage in the UK, and like many sites across the country, we are facing a significant challenge with fly-tipping on the estate.

“We believe we have a duty to preserve and protect the land surrounding the estate for all of its stakeholders and to be good stewards of the Plain; not just in ensuring that it can serve its prime purpose for preparing our troops, but so that it can be sustained and enhanced for future generations to come. Fly-tipping also puts our staff that have the task of clearing the rubbish, and the soldiers training on the land, at risk; not forgetting the danger that members of the public are exposing themselves to by entering areas of restricted land.”

Landmarc has also said that with some deciding to discard oil, diesel and even ink cartridges, fly-tipping has had an impact of a number of rare and protected species which call the site of special scientific interest home.

As part of its bid to tackle fly-tipping on Salisbury Plain the company has signed up to support Wiltshire Council’s #CleanUpWilts campaign.

Bridget Wayman, cabinet member for highways, transport and waste, said: “We spend £2.5 million on clearing up our beautiful landscape and this is a totally avoidable cost. This is money that could be better spent on vital frontline services.”