THE reason that fly-tipping in our communities is increasing is not simply because people are too lazy to go to their local tip.

It is indirectly because of the crazy EU legislation which has put pressure on individuals and companies to dispose of waste in an irresponsible and unorthodox manner.

I condemn those who dump rubbish and they should be dealt with, but we need sensible laws. EU waste legislation is stupid.

If you now collect someone else's waste legally and then take it to the tip legally, under EU legislation they can reject it because you need a waste carriers licence.

Householders who employ a builder must, by law, record the builder's waste carriers licence number, note a description of the waste and when and where it is to be disposed of. And keep this record for two years.

Unbelievably, under EU law, furniture makers are banned from giving away off-cuts as firewood because this is now classed as hazardous waste.

Shopkeepers providing a customer with an empty box to carry away their purchases are now liable to a hefty fine. Boxes are classed as waste and can only be transported by registered persons.

And the one which I originally thought was a joke is the one about farmyard manure which can only be sold until it is one year old!

It is not surprising then that a House of Lords select committee inquiry predicted that recycling costs will rocket by 400-500 per cent over the next five years. At the same time, sites licensed to take toxic substances have reduced from 218 to only 10 nationwide, increasing the cost base to businesses which, in turn, increase the costs of their products.

We may all think there are simple reasons for fly-tipping but the reality is that we need to remove ourselves from the EU stranglehold.

IAN UPTON,

Veritas Prospective

Parliamentary candidate,

Bury North.