Vile health hazard of flytipping on reserve
THESE shocking images expose an n illegal fly-tipping swamp at a for- mer ‘beauty spot’ in Runcorn. Located at a nature reserve park k underneath the Mersey Gateway bridge, , the tip spans about half a mile down a remote path used mostly by cyclists.
But the once idyllic route has been n blighted by a spate of illegal waste dump- ings, which residents have branded a ‘vile health hazard’.
Alarming images show that tonnes of f waste ranging from household furniture e to children’s toys have been abandoned d at the tip, which backs onto the Man- chester Ship Canal in Wigg Island, Runcorn.
Items which have been left to rot at the tip include a mouldy headboard, chairs, a full couch, a fridge, bricks, tyres, building materials, bottles, clothes and general waste.
Several pieces appear to have been torched, including a cabinet, mattresses and parts of a tree.
Concerned people living in the area said the site appears to be a known hotspot for rogue rubbish dumpers, with one passer-by describing the level of waste as on an ‘industrial scale’.
Resident Tim Green, who spotted the tip during a walk in the park, said: “It’s horrendous. You don’t expect to find that in your town.
“I must have seen about 20 or 30 burnt and unburnt mattresses, all sorts of furniture, a fridge, tyres – there’s not a lot of rubbish I did not see.
“It shouldn’t happen. It’s a tip. It belongs on a tip or a landfill somewhere, not a park. That’s not a one off. It’s on an industrial scale. I’ve never seen anything like that at all. “
The 61-year-old added: “It looks like someone is employed to remove rubbish and is using a short cut to get rid of it. But once fly-tipping starts it just escalates and gets worse and worse. I don’t know how people find out about (locations) like that.
“It’s dangerous and it’s impinging on the road. It’s right on the edge of the canal and it (the waste) could get in and pollute the water. It’s not good for the environment environment. “
Residents have also taken to social media to express their disgust at the site after a video of the dump was shared on Facebook.
One said: “This is where your cheap tip runs are going ... Down the side of Wigg Island.”
Others branded it as ‘disgusting’ and a ‘vile health hazard’, while one said: “What a bloody shame!! A beauty spot ruined!”
Halton Council has introduced Fixed Penalty Notices of £400 to tackle an increase in fly-tipping offences – the maximum amount any local authority can charge for the crime under Government legislation.
Fines were introduced after Windmill Hill Wood in Runcorn was shamed as a national fly-tipping hotspot by the Woodland Trust last year.
However, despite promises by the council to crack down on the offence, residents have claimed the problem is only becoming worse.
A Halton Council spokesperson said waste management has confirmed that the site on Wigg Island is not councilowned land, but that it is looking into who the land belongs to and will alert them to the issue.
In a previous statement on fly-tipping, a spokesperson said: “The council undertakes regular targeted initiatives in areas identified as experiencing fly-tipping problems.
‘‘These initiatives include a range of activities such as carrying out ‘door knocking’ exercises, delivering information leaflets to householders, working with housing associations, and investigating incidents of flytipping in an attempt to gather evidence to identify those responsible.” ● Left, binbags full of rubbish dumped at the site, under the Mersey Gateway bridge ●