Scenic woodland marred by trash

Photo: Andy Dowd

DUMPED rubbish at Strinesdale

FLY-TIPPERS are out in force across Oldham again, turning local beauty spots into eyesores.

Andrew Dowd, from Back'o'th'Low Road, Strinesdale, took this picture of a line of dumped rubbish at the back of Brighton Road.

The image shows an old bath, suitcase, bags of rubbish and broken toys blocking a path at the popular woodland destination.

The Royal Mail manager said: "I've lived here 12 years and I've never seen anything as bad as this.

Irresponsible

"With it being a rural area, we get the odd bit of stuff dumped but this looked like a dumper truck had arrived and tipped all the rubbish out.

"To be fair to Oldham Council, it was cleared up pretty quickly on the same day, but people who fly-tip deserve everything they get."

A spokesman for United Utilities, which manages Strinesdale, said: "It is an area of natural beauty used by many visitors and fly-tipping is a grossly irresponsible and illegal act.

"There was also an incident three weeks ago where potentially hazardous car parts were dumped and we wholeheartedly condemn such acts."

A skip full of waste including a sofa, a Christmas tree and washing machine were also dumped near Dovestone Reservoir, on Holmfirth Road.

Keen cyclist Jason Hearne, from Middleton, described it as "disgusting" and said: "It's bad enough a bag or two, but this is a skip full of stuff."

Kirklees Council, which covers the area on the edge of Saddleworth, said its enforcement team would be analysing the incident to try to identify the offender.

A spokeswoman said: "It is sad that people choose to ruin their countryside in this way but we take enforcement action whenever possible."

A Saddleworth householder deemed the fly-tipping "disgraceful" but said strict rules at tips and recycling centres could be making the problem worse.

She said: "We have had it in Castleshaw and up Standedge Foot Lane. I'm not condoning it in any way, but the council won't let you take cardboard or old plaster to the tip. I know, as I took some recently.

"People are fed-up of paying huge amounts in council tax and not being able to dispose of their rubbish. I think fly-tipping is a knock-on effect of this."

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and co-operatives at Oldham Council, said: "Oldham's Arkwright Street recycling centre is managed by the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority.

"Oldham Council does not decide what can and cannot be recycled there. However, the recycling centre accepts a wider range of items than doorstep collection and the council sees it as a valuable facility.

"Both cardboard and plasterboard are accepted at Arkwright Street from domestic customers. If people are struggling to understand what can and cannot be recycled at Arkwright Street, we urge them to visit www.gmwda.gov.uk where more information is available."

Report fly-tipping by calling Oldham Council on 0161-770 2244.