DUMPING DISGRACE Old tyres, a hamper of clothes, a fridge and a treadmill among items left on path

F L Y-T I P P E R S h a v e been slammed for “dese c rat i n g ” loca l beauty spots.

During lockdown many people have – as a result of restrictions on movement – been venturing out for walks far closer to home than might normally be the case.

Many have discovered hidden gems on their doorsteps – but there has also been a darker side.

Some have reported being appalled by the amount of rubbish left strewn on farmland, country paths and at the side of rural roads.

One Tele reader took all the pictures on these pages within half an hour while out for a family walk within a two-mile radius of her home in the Ferryfields area of Broughty Ferry.

She has pleaded with Dundonians to “take more pride” in their surroundings.

“A real benefit of the lockdown has been an encouraging increase in the numbers exploring their local area,” she said.

“Certainly my family has enjoyed discovering a whole network of footpaths and rights of way we might not otherwise have seen.

“For the most part it has been lovely but I have been appalled by the amount of rubbish dumped, often in fairly inaccessible spots.

“I know dumps have been closed but surely there is no need to desecrate our countryside in this way?”

The resident added: “I just wish people would take more pride in their surroundings.”

Those caught dumping in nondesignated recycling centres can be fined as much as £40,000.

Environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham recently said the coronavirus crisis had “exacerbated” the problem of fly-tipping.

Perpetrators have left unwanted waste, washing machines and sofas on farmland and quiet roads but the problem existed long before skips and waste centres were closed.

A running machine was among items dumped in the Ferryfields area (above left), while a fridge (above) was also discarded locally.