Extensive littering in England's countryside due to lack of government funding

Government spending less on promoting the Countryside Code has led to a rise in littering and fires across England, according to campaigners.

Over the last decade, less than £2,000 a year has been spent by the government to support the code, which helps guide visitors to England's countryside to respect the wildlife, landscape and local people.

To compare, last year the government spent £46m on the 'Get ready for Brexit' campaign.

The Countryside Code was relaunched in 2004 as the 'right to roam' law increased rural visitors' access to the countryside.

Since the COVID-19 has swept the world, millions of people have been holidaying in the UK, causing unprecedented problems for rural landowners.

This includes fires caused by disposable barbecues, extensive littering and incidents of dogs disturbing livestock and wildlife.

Since the easing of lockdown, a COVID-19 version of the code was created which highlighted the need for social distancing as well as the general advice of not littering and lighting fires.

In the alleged absence of governmental support, other organisations have made efforts in 2020 such as Natural England. The public body developed messages of the code and social media videos promoting the code's guidelines alongside Ladbible, which were shared on Facebook.