WEST Devon residents and wildlife campaigners have been left outraged after the latest in a string of fly-tipping offences ruined a local beauty spot.

Local resident and land manager for the Brentor Commons Association, Will Walker-Smith said he was ‘completely horrified’ to discover a quarry pond full of rubbish at Liddaton Common, between Chillaton and Brentor.

There have been a number of similar incidents reported in the Times over the past few months, including builders’ rubbish dumped at Plasterdown, a large pile of household waste dumped in the Quarry Car Park at Burrator Reservoir and a number of computers dumped close to Ditsworthy Warren House, the remote building which featured in Stephen Spielberg’s film War Horse.

Also reported in the Times two weeks ago were around 100 tyres and household waste dumped in a field near Woodtown lay-by on Plymouth Road, a tent and bags of rubbish dumped near Denham Bridge and gas bottles ditched in a verge at Haye Down near Brentor.

Mr Walker-Smith said the incident recently on Liddaton Common put the other tipping incidents completely into the shade.

‘When walking on Liddaton Down on Saturday, I checked as I always do, the quarry pond which is just by the side of the road between Chillaton and Brentor and was completely horrified to find a mass of waste that must have been dumped in the last couple of days. There were trade-size tubs that contained paint, a base of a garden shed, glass, wood and stuff that I can not identify as it is partially submerged.

‘The Brentor Commons Association owns and manages 42 acres of common land in the parish of Brentor. It is also a registered charity. This land is the only example of lowland heath in West Devon. Over the past 11 years we have been gradually restoring it with help from volunteers and the tiny amount of money we get from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

‘I’ve spoken to the police and they said they wouldn’t record the incident as a crime therefore haven’t given me a crime number.

‘It is dangerous because we don’t know what kind of harm the chemicals in the paint could do to the wildlife.?What also concerns me is the bottom of the shed in there and I know from clearing out people’s sheds that there could be all sorts in there and that could be lethal to the wildlife.

‘There is loads more in the pond which has floated around and away and stuff which is heavy which has sunk plus a plastic bottle of liquid lawn ‘weed and feed’ which would have been lethal even in a small dose.

‘I am pretty certain this is from someone’s shed, an Easter clear out from someone who is too lazy to go to the recycling centre at Crowndale — it will be someone local I am certain of it.

‘All of it would have been fine to take to the tip. It would have needed a big van or car with a trailer to get the shed base into/onto it. They also cut branches of the trees and large pieces of ivy with a hand saw to gain access to where they threw it in so went prepared to, fly-tip rather than not wait to get into the tip, therefore I conclude this was a premeditated action.

‘This is a very serious incident that has huge implications for the flora and fauna of this very special habitat — the wildlife in the commons is quite significant.’

Mr Walker-Smith said he reported the incident to the police, Environment Agency and West Devon Borough Council.

The pond is home to a range of wildlife, including ducks, herons and moorhens, red deer also drink from the pond and newts, frogs, toads and rare diving beetles can also be spotted regularly.

The commons in general contain 11 species of bats, the very rare pearl bordered fritillary butterfly, badgers, grass snakes, adders, common lizards and lots of bird life. Most importantly the pond is home to a mud snail –which is tiny but incredibly rare and this is the only place in Devon where it can be found.

’So you can see why we as a group of commoners are horrified by this incident. It has huge environmental implications for the pond and a financial impact as we will have to pay to have this professionally removed, probably wiping out our DEFRA grant for next year. That’s how crucial our small grant is!

’We cleared this pond four years ago with help from a grant from Plymouth University as all kinds of stuff had been tipped in it over the years and took away 12 drums of toxic material like oil filters and drums containing other stuff, 20 plus tyres and plastic of all types.

’Over the past 12 years, since a group of us collectively purchased the overgrown commons, we have restored its habitat with help from volunteers, planted hundreds of trees, removed invasive gorse, regularly bashed the bracken with a roller to restrict its growth which then in turn encourages wild flowers to return like violets which are the main source of food for the fritillary butterfly larvae, held a series of nature workshops held in Jennie Hales yurt for school children and people with special needs.’

A West Devon Borough Council spokesperson said: ‘We have operational staff in the community who deal swiftly with reports of fly tipping. We will investigate and clear fly-tipped waste on public land or the highway.

‘If you wish to provide confidential information about fly tipping or persons you suspect are disposing of waste illegally, please contact our customer services team on 01822 813600 who will organise collection as soon as possible.’

More information about fly tipping can be found at http://www. westdevon.gov.uk/article/3895/Fly-Tipping-and-Littering