A new campaign has been launched to tackle the illegal dumping of green waste across Dorset.
The campaign has been launched by the Dorset Partnership Against Rural Crime, known as DPARC.
It brings together partners including the Office of the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, Dorset Police, the Environment Agency, Dorset Council, BCP Council and Forestry England.
Residents and contractors are being encouraged to dispose of garden waste responsibly as warmer weather approaches and more people begin summer garden clearances.
Authorities say fly-tipping grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, branches and other garden waste can damage wildlife habitats, block rural roads and gateways, increase fire risk and create costs for landowners and taxpayers.
The campaign will highlight the environmental and financial impact of green waste fly-tipping, while promoting legal disposal options such as council garden waste services, household recycling centres and licensed waste carriers.
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said fly-tipping is not a victimless crime, adding that it blights the countryside, harms wildlife and creates unnecessary costs for communities and landowners.
Chris Burch, one of Dorset Council’s waste enforcement officers, said an increasing percentage of fly-tips reported to the council involve garden waste dumped on roadside verges and gateways.
He said fly-tipped garden waste can harm grazing livestock and risk introducing non-native species into areas of scientific importance.
Residents are being encouraged to use licensed waste carriers, check contractors are legally registered, use council garden waste collections or recycling centres, and report fly-tipping to local authorities or Dorset Police.
Councils and Dorset Police say enforcement action will continue against offenders, with agencies sharing intelligence to identify those responsible for rural waste crime.
