Underpass blocked by fly-tipped rubbish
TRAVELLERS have been ordered to leave a makeshift site near the M1 where a mountain of fly-tipped rubbish has blocked an underpass.
The mound of debris has been gathering under the M1 at Junction 12 at Flitwick, Beds, since at least last August and has now spread across an area nine lanes wide.
Yesterday pictures emerged showing the pile near the unofficial encampment still growing.
Bedfordshire Police and Central Bedfordshire Council could not say why so much rubbish was allowed to build up nor whether those living close by will be questioned about it.
Highways England said that a notice to quit had been served on the travellers, who had been given until yesterday to leave.
But it did not say who was behind the fly-tipping, which will cost taxpayers thousands of pounds to clear up.
Recent figures from the Local Government Association said the cost of clearing up fly-tipping rose to more than £57million last year, up from £50million in 2016.
The LGA said that in 2016/17, there were 492,139 incidents of fly-tipping from vans and trucks. If all those vehicles were parked bumper to bumper, they would form a queue more than 1,459 miles long, with enough fly-tipped rubbish to circle the M25 motorway 12 and a half times, the LGA said.
As well as the van-loads of rubbish, there were huge amounts of black bin bags, car-boot loads and single items fly-tipped last year.
Local councils have taken to searching fly-tipped rubbish for anything that could identify the offenders so they can be hit with fines.