Mattress and TV dumped outside Taunton primary school (From Somerset County Gazette)

Mattress and TV dumped outside Taunton primary school

2:00pm Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News By Phil Hill

Justine Baker with the rubbish dumped outside the school.

PUPILS arriving at a primary school were greeted by an unsightly pile of rubbish dumped outside the gates by a fly-tipper.

Mum-of-two Justine Baker, a district councillor, said a mattress, a TV set and a chair were left outside North Town Primary School, in Taunton.

Mrs Baker said there has been an increase in people leaving rubbish in the street and countryside following a reduction in opening hours at waste and recycling centres to save money.

She added: “Picking up such rubbish costs more than is being saved by closing the tips for part of the week.

“I like many local people want to see the tips reopened seven days a week again as that would mean such instances of fly tipping would go down and our town won't have rubbish dumped all over it.”

A Taunton Deane Council spokeswoman said there were 681 instances of flytipping last year, with the number this year likely to drop to around 600.

Cllr Ken Hayward, environmental services portfolio holder, said: “Let anyone who may be thinking of fly-tipping be in no doubt of the council's determination to gather evidence and prosecute cases of this environmental crime.

“Fines can be hefty, enough to put a small business under in these hard times.”