The Countryside Alliance recently launched Fly-tipping, Scrap It, a campaign that has caught the public's imagination across the UK.

The news that fly-tipping costs the tax-payer £72 a minute, there is an incidence every 12 seconds and yet only one in 100 cases leads to prosecution has caused shock and outrage.

We believe this is a good thing - only by getting angry about this can we do something about it.

For too long fly-tipping has gone under the radar - it appears to be a faceless crime and a taboo subject and we aim to change that.

We are organising national Fly-tipping Awareness Week, which begins on April 23 and will include the Big Pick-Up, a spring clean everyone can get involved in.

During this week we will demonstrate the extent of the problem and make it clear that a solution must be found.

The countryside is for all of us to enjoy - a selfish minority must not spoil the UK's beautiful landscapes for the rest of us.

See www.countryside-alliance.org for more details and how to get involved.

D Everard.

Wessex Regional Director.

Countryside Alliance