BBC Countryfile viewers issue same complaint as host makes 'really sad' admission

Countryfile viewers issued the same complaint as host Datshiane Navanayagam made a "really sad" admission on Sunday (April 27).

During tonight's edition of the hit BBC show, hosts Margherita Taylor and Joe Crowley were in the Forest of Bowland to experience a sensory spring feast.

Later on in the programme, Datshiane explored the increase in fly tipping across the countryside, speaking to several farmers about their negative experiences.

"Fly tipping is unfortunately something we see far too often in our countryside and last year, the overall number of incidents soared. But that doesn't reflect the true impact of illegal rubbish dumping on some rural communities, with the clear up thought to be costing farmers and councils millions," Margherita began, before handing over to Datshiane's investigation.

"Fly tipping is getting worse. The latest government statistics show there were over 1.15 million fly tipping incidents in 2023 and 2024 in England alone," Datshiane explained.

"That's up 6% on the previous year. The same figures show a rise in fly tipping on farms of nearly 2%."

However, the real scale of the problem isn't clear. The government have previously admitted that most cases of fly tipping on farms and private land are never reported, meaning the actual number of incidents is likely to be much higher.

Datshiane then spoke to cereal farmer Evie Hunter, who revealed that she had found over 40 tonnes of rubbish dumped on her field last month.

"We had sinks, doors, toilets, showers, food waste, everything," Evie shared.

"[I felt] disrespected, angry, it feels like farmers are being hit from all angles at the minute and when something like this happens, it's all too much."

Viewers quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their frustration with the issue, with one person writing: "Fly tipping is disgusting and sad for the wildlife."

"Really sad that people dump rubbish in the Countryside, bad enough in cities like London etc," another added, while a third said: "This is a huge problem."

A fourth viewer echoed the sentiment, saying: "Typical. Blame and criminalise the farmers for burying fly-tipping waste instead of acknowledging why they're forced to do this."

Countryfile is available to stream on BBC iPlayer