UNSIGHTLY waste has again been dumped on Dartmoor, prompting more complaints from local people and councillors.

West Devon residents are outraged by the latest in a string of fly-tipping offences over recent months however some have said they think it is a ‘consequence of charging at the tip’.

Local resident Neal Taynton-Young said he spotted rubbish on his way to work near Denham Bridge, Buckland Monachorum.

He added: ‘I was driving to work, it was a beautiful morning and I looked over to see rubbish on either side of the road!

‘On one side was an orange tent. I’m not sure if it was broken or not as I didn’t touch it but it was clearly discarded and spread out. On the other side were four or five bags of rubbish.

‘It looked like inside them was some kind of loft insulation and chipboard — it looked like what was inside had been teased out so it could have even been nibbled by animals.

‘Fly-tipping is one of those things I don’t understand, the area is so beautiful so why would people want to spoil it?

‘Today it is just not acceptable, maybe in the ‘60s or ‘70s it was accepted but we have moved forward now. It’s disheartening – the area is so beautiful and visited by hundreds of thousands of people – what kind of example are we setting to visitors?

‘This was bad as it was only five bags of rubbish – if it costs to dump it, do the right thing and drop it off at the dump!

‘We are setting a bad example to the younger generation too, making them think it is acceptable and that the rubbish will just be picked up eventually by a park ranger, but that isn’t their job! It doesn’t matter if you are a local person or not, fly-tipping is not acceptable.’

Another incident of dumped gas bottles in a verge at Haye Down near Brentor, was reported to West Devon Borough Council by Michele Sanders on Monday (March 21).

Michele said: ‘I found the gas bottles on Monday (March, 21). I tweeted West Devon Borough Council and they said they would deal with the removal but then I received a tweet from Flogas (UK supplier of liquid petroleum gas) asking for a postcode and said they would collect them.

‘Another councillor on Twitter actually said they might have scrap value but they haven‘t — I know this because we own J Sanders and Son, Scrap Metal Recyclers. They have to go back to where they came from to be scrapped safely.

‘I was very disappointed to see them dumped there. When stuff like that is dumped people often think it has come from us, which it hasn’t. It’s terrible – there are ways of getting rid of these things but people can’t be bothered.’

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.

Earlier this month a large number of tyres and what looked to be household waste, in black bin bags, was discovered in a field near Woodtown lay-by on Plymouth Road, opposite the Grub Up food van.

Tavistock and West Devon Borough Councillor Jeff Moody said: ‘I have reported it to West?Devon and, as it is on private land, sadly it is now down to the landowner to deal with this irresponsible fly tip of almost 100 car tyres.

‘I find this a serious antisocial act and feel sorry for the landowner who now has to pay to have the tyres removed and then, to add insult to injury, they will have to pay a disposal fee of around £3.50 per tyre. It is very unfair.

‘Given the large number of tyres that have been dumped, it is quite possibly a commercial fly-tipping incident and I would ask any local tyre fitting companies to contact the police should they hear anything about the culprits.

‘If, in fact, the source is a tyre company or garage, this is appalling and fraudulent as their motorist customers would have been charged a disposal fee for any old tyres.

‘It is also possible that the pile of tyres has been added to over the past few weeks. I have spoken to someone who noticed the pile of tyres in the lay-by a few weeks ago but thinks that more tyres have been added to the pile over the weeks. So it is possible that this is a continuous and ongoing fly-tipping incident.

‘As fly-tipping is a crime, I have reported this to the police who have said that they would advise local officers to keep an eye out at Woodtown lay-by which is a well known fly-tipping hotspot. I would also ask if anyone with any information regarding the tyre fly-tipping would contact the local police quoting the crime number CR 015361/16.’

On the Tavistock Parish Facebook page, Jean Keast wrote about the incident: ‘Agree it is unacceptable and whoever has done this should have the book thrown at them. However, we took a small bag of rubble to the recycling centre and got charged £2. Not a lot of money but if you’re hard up then dumping it means it’s free for you but a cost to the council!’

Hugh Walkington wrote: ‘Completely agree with Jean. Unfortunate but inevitable consequence of charging at the tip.’

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