A shocking image shows the iconic White Cliffs of Dover left covered in unsightly litter and rubbish.

Discarded picnics, carrier bags and other waste scattered along the cliff top ruins what is a picturesque and popular tourist spot in Kent.

Luckily, the image is fake.

It has been mocked up as part of a campaign to highlight the rise of fly-tipping.

It comes as data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shows fly-tipping has increased by 16% over the last year - with just under two-thirds of incidents involving household waste.

In addition, around 500,000 items of litter make their way into the sea from UK rivers every year, according to the Canal and River Trust, while footpaths and bridleways see almost 200,000 fly-tipping incidents annually.

According to the most recent UK government data, the top litter item was small pieces of plastic and polystyrene (215 items per 100 metres), with cigarette stubs (46 per 100m) coming second and food packets (39 per 100m) in third place.

London had the highest number of fly-tipping incidents in 2020/21: 43 per 1,000 people.

It was followed by the North East (31) and the North West (19), two areas that boast four national parks and 12 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty between them.

Litter dumped in cities and the countryside gets blown and washed into rivers and drains, eventually ending up in the ocean.

Other waste goes straight down the drain, with wet wipes, cotton buds and sanitary products all polluting seas.

Plastic in the ocean is also a big problem, with about 80% of it coming from land.

In response, new images have been released showing the impact fly-tipping and littering can have on the country's most beloved walking trails, waterways, and coastal locations.

As well as Dover's cliffs, images were mocked up of the West Highland Way and the historic Leeds Canal.

The campaign is being led by smoking cessation firm, Vape Club. Managing director Dan Marchant said: “In the UK, we’re incredibly lucky to have so many beautiful and varied landscapes. But it’s clear that we have to do much more to preserve them."

The Dover district has recently been awarded nearly £40,000 to help crack down on fly-tipping.

The grant for Dover District Council (DDC) is part of the Government’s move to counter an increase in the dumping since the beginning of the pandemic.

DDC is looking at developing its CCTV resources and investing in new equipment to help gather evidence to further support the prosecution of offenders.

Cllr Martin Bates, cabinet member for regulatory services, said: "We continue to work hard to address fly-tipping in the district, and to prosecute where offences are committed.”

Dover and Deal MP Natalie Elphicke added: “While many people are very good about taking home their litter, others are not and it is an eyesore on too many of our local roads and woodland areas.

“Speaking to our local farmers, they have noticed an increase in fly-tipping.

"There is also always a big clean-up to do after any serious traffic disruption."