Wiltshire cow given licence to dispose of household rubbish

The stunt was pulled by the Country Land and Business Association in an attempt to raise awareness about the scourge of fly-tipping on an industrial scale - and the criminal gangs milking the system.

Chippenham farmer Ann Maidment, who is the director of CLA South West, applied for the waste carrier and dealer licence on behalf of Beau Vine, one of her cows.

The application was approved by the Environment Agency "in under three seconds, with no checks or questions asked."

To prove it wasn't a fluke, a second application under the name Lawrie Load was rubber-stamped by the government department.

Under the current system, all that is needed to apply is a name, address, email contact and a small fee, with no verifications, driving license details, or photos needed.

“Beau Vine excels at eating grass, lounging in the sun, and a leisurely moo. Waste management, however, remains stubbornly beyond his remit,” said Anne.

“That he should be approved for a license in under three seconds reveals something alarming: not even the most basic background checks are being done.

"And it raises a worrying question: if a cow can get a license, who is the government actually turning away?

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“Criminals know this. They exploit these licenses to appear legitimate, then go on to fly-tip tonnes of waste, some of it hazardous, endangering the livelihoods of rural communities.

“A system that approves applicants instantly and without scrutiny is not regulating waste.

"It is smoothing the path to dump it. Government must introduce proper checks, verification, and standards to stop rubber-stamping fly-tippers and start protecting the communities they harm.”

A recent CLA survey found that almost three-quarters of farmers are affected by fly-tipping each year, with some targeted multiple times each month.

Each incident costs on average £1,000 to clear up, with 85 per cent of landowners saying they have invested in measures such as CCTV, lighting, and other security.

A Defra spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Waste crime is a scourge on local communities.

"We are working across government to wipe out illegal waste throughout the country and make those responsible pay, including significant reforms to the carriers, brokers and dealers regime.

“We are directly supporting the Environment Agency to stop the exploitation of our waste system, including a £43 million boost to waste crime enforcement, and tougher sentences for those who break the law.”