Fly-tipped rubbish will be removed when travellers leave the site, council says

Two weeks ago brazen fly-tippers in Northampton dumped piles of furniture next to a warning sign telling residents to keep the town tidy.

The large fly-tipping incident was reportedly dumped in the lay-by near Upton days before Christmas, according to one resident, who went out to take pictures.

The eyesore contains two chairs, a clothes horse, tyres and bags of rubbish. Now, the resident says the pile has been added to in the form of what he believes is a sheet of asbestos.

A spokeswoman for Northampton Borough Council said: “Clearance of the fly-tipping in Upton began after it was reported on the 16th of January and plans are in place to continue clearing the items, once the travellers have left the site.

“We urged members of the public to report any instances of fly-tipping, directly to the borough council. Instances can be reported using our 'report it' tool on our website or by calling our customer services team on 0300 330 7000.

"Not only can we clear issues quicker when we receive direct reports, but there is also greater opportunity for gaining essential evidence needed to enforce penalties on those who think it is okay to abuse our public spaces.”

However, Duston resident John Wright, who says he has been reporting rubbish in this lay-by for three years, contests the borough council's statement and said there has not been travellers in the area for a long time.

John Wright said: "There have been no travellers on this site in six months, I go past every day.

"I feel ashamed that my town has become a rubbish dump and people from all over the world can see that.

"I have lived in Northampton all my 70 years. I worked for Northampton Borough Council for 30 years as a Highway Inspector - that wouldn't have happened in my day.

"Our own contractors would have cleaned up the day it happened."