DISCARDED garden waste dumped in an open area of Meavy has outraged local residents.

Varieties of rubbish, including plastic bottles, were dumped on Lynch Common.

Jill Eagleton from Lovaton said the incident was a 'desecration' of the beautiful area: 'Apart from being so unsightly, discarded garden waste can be fatal to livestock. 

'Not all is shown in the picture, there was a lot of old chipwood panels, branches and a bag of conifer cuttings.

'If it was left here by someone paid to take it to the tip then the owner may recognise it and hopefully name and shame the person responsible.

'Whoever it was may like to know that I and my husband have cleared up as much as was possible and taken it to the council tip for them.'

Jill Skelton, environmental services manager for West Devon Borough Council, said: 'Fly tipping has a cost to the taxpayer as well as being unsightly, although in this case, off highway, it is the landowner's responsibility to clear up. It is just as easy to dispose properly through the recycling centres or the council's garden waste services such as the scheme at Leg O'Mutton.

'If you employ somebody to remove your waste the householder now has a legal responsibility to ensure they are licensed and will dispose within the law. It's relatively new legislation in the last couple of years.'