Health hazard of fly-tipping (From Gazette Series)

Health hazard of fly-tipping

WICKWAR residents are being warned of the dangers of dumping household and industrial waste following an increase in fly-tipping.

Safety fears have been sparked among the parish council following the discovery of a number of gas cylinders on land near the town's main playing field, adding to those already there.

Concerns that asbestos has previously been left in the area and that more people are using the land as a rubbish tip have led the parish council to put a notice in the monthly newsletter which is circulated around the village.

In it chairman Cllr Martin Summers will warn residents of the hazards they are creating and the danger they are putting children in.

Cllr Sarah Berry said: "It is a safety risk - children regularly walk on the land and up the lane to the playing field.

She said a number of villagers has approached her worried by the health implications of dumping waste and dangerous materials.

She added: "It is not just about keeping the village tidy but keeping it safe as well."

South Gloucestershire Council is not obliged to remove any of the rubbish because it is on private land, although officers have assured parish council clerk Pat Trull that they are investigating an alleged incident two weeks ago when a resident saw someone park their vehicle, dump rubbish and leave. The witness noted the vehicle registration and passed it on to the district authority.

South Gloucestershire Council is expected to carry out a site visit, although no date has yet been confirmed.