Wiltshire Council and RSPCA remind us litter can be deadly for wildlife
Local authorities have been taking fly-tipping very seriously
People in Wiltshire are being urged not to leave litter in natural areas as it can have a deadly impact on wildlife.
Animal charity, the RSCPA says it's received nearly 10 reports a day in the last three years of animals found injured, trapped or dead due to discarded items.
Wiltshire Council have been taking a tough stance against fly-tippers, prosecuting 13 people in the last two years and issuing 51 fixed penalty notices.
Just last week, a major fly-tip was discovered close to Salisbury Plain, near Warminster.
And in January of this year, they launched their 'Don't Mess with Wiltshire' campaign.
The RSPCA's Geoff Edmond told Greatest Hits Radio that fly-tipping is a major concern.
"None of us like to see it," he said, adding the people don't appreciate the consequences of littering enough, saying its "often overlooked" as a concept.
Many hazards for animals among our rubbish
Geoff told us that people need to be much more responsible about how they dispose of their litter, as there are several dangers laying in wait for the wildlife around Wiltshire.
"We've really got to start thinking about the consequences,the dangers, and the hazards that this creates for the birds, the mammals and the wildlife we all love," he said.
Nocturnal mammals such as hedgehogs, foxes, Badgers are particularly at risk when out and about during the night: "They may smell something if it's food related and be attracted to that because the sense of smell of mammals is extremely acute," said Geoff.
But the hazards aren't just limited to wild animals.
Geoff said: "I've even seen reports of people taking their dogs for a walk, and the dog's been walking about and ended up with their feet being cut by broken glass."
Protecting our wildlife, for now and for the future
Tackling fly-tipping is a priority for police forces and local authorities across the country, which Geoff says is a positive, but is urging us not to leave litter in the first place.
"We shouldn't be harming animals in this way," he said, adding that by each of us being more responsible about getting rid of rubbish sensibly, we can "make a difference".
Geoff's final message is: "Don't leave litter, don't fly ship and we'll make the world a safer place. We need to safeguard our wildlife ourselves for future generations.
"Really look after it. So as a as a caring society, I think it's really important we take this this issue very, very responsibly and very seriously."