Waste mountains the weight of three humpback whales dumped in just a week

HEAPS of rubbish left on roadsides have become an all-too-familiar sight across the country.

But this is fly-tipping on a new and shocking level.

Waste mountains weighing the equivalent of three humpback whales have been illegally dumped within a five-mile radius in just over a week.

The Environment Agency said it believes the crimes could be linked and the waste may have been deposited by a grab lorry. Four villages outside Guildford, Surrey, have woken up to find their communities blighted by 100 tons of rubbish in total since Tuesday of last week.

The average humpback whale weighs between 25 and 30 tons.

About 20 tons were dumped by woodland near West Horsley on March 26. Another 20-ton pile was left just outside Ripley on March 27. And a 40-ton pile was discarded on an access road near the A3 in Burpham over the weekend.

The Environment Agency said yesterday it was investigating a fourth incident after a 20-ton heap was found in Gomshall.

Fly- tipping is a criminal offence that can result in an unlimited fine or five years imprisonment in the most serious cases. Quantities of waste weighing 20 tons or more are considered largescale fly-tipping, according to the Environment Agency.

A spokesman said: ‘People who illegally dump rubbish anywhere have no soul; no moral compass about what is right or wrong. They are purely motivated by greed and selfinterest. This isn’t someone dropping a couple of bin bags. It’s serious organised crime.

‘ These reckless actions put people and the environment at risk and we encourage the public to help us catch these criminals.’