Fly-tipping in Watery Gate Lane
TONNES of festering and burnt rubbish have been dumped by fly-tippers on an infamous lane.
The two large, foul-smelling piles of waste were left on Watery Gate Lane, near Earl Shilton, which is closed to vehicles as the road crosses a deep ford which is impassable to most cars and where many drivers have got stuck recently.
Council officials believe the rubbish was strewn across the road on the evening of Friday February 28, before 10.10pm.
Photographer Graham Gittens came across the ugly mounds of waste when he was out visiting a regular location to get some pictures.
He said: “The disgusting piles appear to consist of compacted domestic refuse and based on the odour are already starting to decay.
“As I left the site, a Blaby council vehicle approached who were also there to investigate the newly arrived piles of refuse.
“As the water here rises and falls with regularity I can only assume that as the weather continues to be variable there is a significant risk that these piles will be washed into flowing water, polluting whatever and wherever the water course runs.”
The lane goes across the border between Blaby district and Hinckley and Bosworth borough, but officials have since confirmed that both heaps are within the latter’s area.
The borough council said in a post on Facebook: “We are appealing for any information about who may be responsible for tipping this waste on Watery
Gate Lane, Earl Shilton.
“This would have been transported in a large vehicle and due to the different drop points would mean they visited this road twice.
“The three to four tonnes of waste consist of general rubbish, carpets and building materials and we believe these incidents took place on Friday evening before 10.10pm.
“One of the huge fly tips has been set on fire. The road is currently blocked as the waste has been dumped onto the road.”
Another large fly tip was left by the side of Bosworth Road, near Kirkby Mallory, at some point between the evening of February 7 and the morning of February 8.
Officials found several distinctive objects among the rubbish, which they posted pictures of on Facebook in a bid to get more information and find who was responsible.
Gates are to be installed on Watery Gate Lane in efforts to prevent drivers from trying to cross the flooded ford, after the fire service was called out 10 times between 2014 and 2018 to rescue stranded drivers and there were a string of incidents last year.
Blaby District Council is to pay 25 per cent of the £65,000 needed for the manual fixtures, while Leicestershire County Council will cover the remainder.
Call the borough council’s Clean Neighbourhoods team on Hinckley 255977 if you have any information about either of the two fly tips.