A WEST Devon landlady has expressed outrage at Devon County Council after she was initially told it could take up to ten days to inspect around 20 tonnes of soil dumped outside her pub.

Lisa Davies, landlady of the Prewley Moor Arms at Sourton Down, said that on Monday afternoon a truck marked 'Highway Maintenance' dumped around 20 tonnes of soil at the end of the pub car park, near the entrance to the main building.

The dumping has hindered plans for the patch of land to be covered with wood chipping and used as an additional beer garden for the busy Easter period and summer months.

Miss Davies said: 'The pub is closed on Monday afternoon so we can carry out cleaning. I was inside helping out and I could hear a truck at the end of the car park.

'When I saw that the driver was dumping soil at the end of our car park, I tried shouting out of the window to stop him, but he couldn't hear me over the noise of the truck.

'I tried to get out to stop him, but once I had unbolted the pub door and got outside, it was too late.

'On Tuesday morning I rang Devon County Council's road maintenance number, and I was furious with them. I was told that it could take up to ten days to get an officer out to inspect the incident.

'What angers me most is the whole dismissal of it by the people at Devon County Council. At no point did the person I spoke to ask if I had got the truck's registration plate, or any other important questions. They seemed completely disinterested.

'If I was caught fly-tipping, I would be punished quickly. Yet something like this happens, and the county council are slow to react. I pay a small fortune to have my waste cleared, so surely this isn't right?

'There could be further complications, as the soil has been dumped on top of our water meter. I have also contacted the police, and they have said they will send someone to come and have a look, but I feel it is the county council's responsibility.'

Following a phone call from the Times, enquiring about the incident, Devon County Council sent a representative to the scene on Tuesday morning, to see if the soil had been left as part of planned verge works, and mistakenly tipped in an inappropriate place.

A county council spokesperson said: 'We have spoken to the landlady and confirmed the soil is nothing to do with Devon County Council's highway maintenance teams. However as we happen to have a digger in the local area this week we will, as a good will gesture, move the soil.'

Vehicles linked directly to Devon County Council will be marked South West Highways. However, any vehicle involved with any form of roadworks must be marked 'highways maintenance'. Therefore, the truck could have belonged to a utilities company, or an independent contractor.

Lisa added: 'I am pleased that Devon County Council have reacted and said they will move the soil. Having said that, I am still angry at the attitude I was met with when I contacted them personally. It is disappointing.

'I am not normally the sort of person to kick up a fuss about anything, but on this occasion, it seems to have worked.'