Fly-tippers target Tonedale play area (From Somerset County Gazette)

Fly-tippers target Tonedale play area

7:00am Sunday 17th February 2013 in Wellington & Wiveliscombe By Michael Marsh

VANDALS are ruining a Wellington play area with persistent fly-tipping.

Supermarket trolleys, mattresses and other items are being dumped in the play area in Tonedale, blighting its image and causing a potential danger.

Town councillors expressed concerns about the problem at a meeting last week.

Raising the issue, Cllr Dave Mitton said: “It’s an ongoing problem. There have been a lot of things dumped there and the play area is quite well used, particularly by young families.

“We need residents to keep an eye on it and see who’s doing it. It’s concerning.”

Various suggestions were put forward to stop vehicles driving up to the site to dump rubbish, including putting up a gate at the Richards Close entrance.

Cllr Andrew Govier said: “It’s a disgrace – I’ve got no time for fly- tipping. There’s no excuse and it’s unacceptable.”

It was claimed that the loss of tips across Somerset was the root cause of the increasing fly tipping problem.

Cllr Ross Henley said: “The closure of tips is to blame. Taunton Deane’s in the top ten in the UK for the percentage of fly tipping increase.

“It’s becoming the Somerset disease and the blight of our county.”

Cllr Gloria Copley described the situation as “dreadful” and said somebody must know who is dumping rubbish.