Fly-tipping is '˜costing tax payers hundreds of pounds'

Flytipping at Swallow EMN-160114-152912001

A farmer fed up with people fly-tipping rubbish - and costing taxpayers hundreds of pounds - is calling for action to tackle the problem.

Swallow farmer George Thompson says a site off the A46, near his farm, is repeatedly being targeted by people dumping rubbish.

Mr Thompson believes the waste is being deposited in the early hours of the morning or at dusk in the afternoon.

West Lindsey District Council says it is aware of the problem - and has cleared the site ‘on a number of occasions’, costing taxpayers hundreds of pounds each time.

Mr Thompson said: “You couldn’t print it in your paper what I think of them (the people fly-tipping the rubbish).”

He said it isn’t costing the perpetrators anything to dispose of the waster ‘it is the Market Rasen Mail readers who pay for it to be cleared away’.

Mr Thompson claims WLDC cleared more than six truck loads of rubbish from the site back in November.

He said: “It’s mainly house clearance items, fridges and bath suites - and a lot of personal information, including addresses from where it came from

“It was bad in November and it was all cleared away by West Lindsey District Council then.”

Mr Thompson claims that since the site was cleared last year, there has been about another 12 loads dumped.

And he says the latest load arrived between 7am and 7pm on Saturday, January  9.

West Lindsey District Council prosperous communities committee chairman Coun Owen Bierley said: “West Lindsey District Council is aware of the rubbish which has been dumped on land off the A46, Swallow.

“This area has been reported to us on a number of occasions and we have been and cleared the area.

“However, as soon as we have cleared the fly-tipping, more is left at the site.

“We are going out to the site again this week to clear it, yet again.

“We will also do a search for evidence in a bid to catch the  offenders.

“We are also exploring options with Lincolnshire County Council and Lincolnshire Police of ways to tackle the issue, as it is costing hundreds of pounds of tax payers money to clear the site each time.”

Mr Thompson said the costs of clearing up fly-tipped rubbish is a ‘waste’ of the council’s money - and that those funds  could be better spent elsewhere.

He hopes that by making the public aware of the problem, someone will see the culprits dump things and report them to the council.

Coun Bierley is also urging anyone who witnesses fly-tipping to contact West Lindsey District  Council.

To report an incident call 01427 676676 or do it online at west-lindsey.gov. uk.

Coun Bierley said residents can also call the council with general concerns about fly-tipping in the  community.