ORGANISERS of Mary Tavy’s popular bonfire and firework night are considering scaling back the event in the future as the site has become a target for fly-tippers.

Chairman of the Trustees of the Coronation Hall and Field in Mary Tavy John Bright said it was coming to a point of being ’more trouble than it was worth’ to build the bonfire as people were seeing as a free for all to dump their rubbish.

’The bonfire takes many weeks of work to build and the trustees have control over what is put on it,’ he said. ’At no time have we encouraged people to dump their rubbish there.

’Recently large quantities of lifted parquet flooring was thrown on the bonfire in plastic bags, plus plastic guttering, wood containing loose nails and chipboard which was both both inflammable and completely soaked.’

Mr Bright said since then other items had also been added to the bonfire without knowledge of the trustees.

’We had to remove a lot of items and nails from pallets and it is a lot to do for the volunteers. I, for one, would rather be spending time on my allotment than removing all the rubbish that has been dumped here illegally.

’The bonfire is a really popular event that has been going for decades â?? it is a well loved tradition â?? but we may have to do it another way in the future, maybe having a beacon instead of a bonfire.’

Mr Bright said the trustees had considered locking people out of the site but it was used by the community for football matches so this wasn’t really feasible.

The fly-tipping incident has been reported to West Devon Borough Council but it had been agreed between Mr Bright and the council’s officers that no action would be taken, said the council.

Mary Tavy’s annual free bonfire night and fireworks spectacular is planned for November 7 this year.