Residents disgusted by fly-tipping 'free for all'

People living on an estate say they are disgusted by a large pile of waste, which they describe as a fly-tipping "free for all".

Residents on the Ermine West estate, in Lincoln, said the rubbish, including a mattress, bedstead, clothes, a pushchair and broken glass, had been dumped on a green patch of land about a week ago and added to since.

Tony Brien said he had reported the waste to the council and added: "People see one item and think they can throw more on top."

Ben Jackson, public protection manager at City of Lincoln Council, said: "This illegal fly-tipping incident is both deeply disappointing and completely unacceptable."

Brien said the "disgusting" waste could attract rats and those responsible "ought to be ashamed".

"I am shocked. People are just lazy," he added. "I don't know why people do this, its beyond me, I wasn't brought up like this."

Billy Wedderburn, who has lived on the estate for 18 years, described the growing pile of dumped waste as a "free for all" and called for CCTV cameras to deter offenders.

"How would you feel if it was outside your door?" he asked.

Wedderburn said he feared congestion at the city's household waste site might be leading some to see fly-tipping as the "easy option".

Lincolnshire County Council has pledged to introduce a booking system after queues at the recycling centre in Great Northern Terrace, which it said would help reduce congestion and improve the experience for visitors.

The city council said fly-tipping showed a "blatant disregard" for residents and the environment and cost taxpayers money to clear up.

The authority said it would "always investigate" incidents where possible and appealed for anyone with CCTV, doorbell camera or dashcam footage to come forward.

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