Recent figures show 60,000 tonnes of waste was abandoned in England and Wales alone last year.

Environment Correspondent Margaret Gilmore: "Last week, 20 tonnes of builders' rubble dumped on National Trust estate"

Now the government's Environment Agency has set up a forum of concerned bodies to take action against fly-tippers.

The forum includes the National Farmers' Union, Tidy Britain Group, the National Trust, Railtrack, British Waterways and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

They plan to put miniature cameras at well-known illegal dumps, and have produced a guide on how to dispose of dangerous waste.

They are also pushing for more fly-tippers to be prosecuted. If found guilty they face fines of up to �20,000 or two years in jail.

Offenders prosecuted

In the past two years a number of offenders have been jailed after being prosecuted by the Environment Agency.

Recent cases include a father and son who were each jailed for two years for fly-tipping metal drums containing dangerous toxic waste on Teesside.

Another man was jailed for nine months for his role in dumping bags of asbestos on the streets of Birmingham. Children were found playing among the bags.

The public is to be asked to help in the tidy-up

Steve Lee of the Environment Agency said: "The very fact that so many bodies have looked for practical and effective ways to work together on this should make clear our intent.

"At the very least, illegal dumping is a blight on our environment and an unnecessary cash burden on taxpayers and landowners.

"At the very worst it can cause long lasting damage to the environment and put human health at risk.''

He said it was vital for the public to support the effort by informing the authorities of fly-tipping incidents as quickly as possible.

Expensive clean-ups

The National Trust owns and protects thousands of acres of land in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is particularly concerned to find ways of ending the practice.

Trust spokesman Rob Jarman said: "As a charity, having to clear up the visual mess and pollution left by fly-tippers is an unacceptable drain on our resources and diverts us from our day-to-day work of conservation and providing enjoyment and access to the countryside."

Landowners have a legal responsibility to remove fly-tipped waste at their own expense.

At Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire fly-tipping costs up to �5,000 per year, and the trust's wardens spend an estimated 15 working days each year clearing up waste.

Anyone wishing to report an illegal dump can call a free, 24 hour pollution hotline on 0800 807060.