THE public spirited actions of two men in a country lane on the outskirts of Taunton this week were in stark contrast to the actions of a flytipper.

Chris Luck and Ian Perry were stopped in their tracks by a manmade blockage in the middle of the road in the West Hatch area on Monday morning (November 28).

A large pile of construction waste had been dumped unceremoniously on the route between Slough Green and Stoke St Mary, making it impassable.

Chris pulled up and began shifting the items to the side of the road when he was joined by Ian, who gave a helping hand.

Police were called out and officers made the road safe before reporting the incident to Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT).

Chris said: "The flytipping was totally blocking the road.

"There was a massive amount of corrugated concrete roofing and there was I believe a considerable amount of asbestos.

"It must have been dumped from a builder's tipper.

"Chris and I were passing by so stopped and moved it to the side of the road.

"I then called the community officer for the area to report it."

Police arrived and placed cones along the side of the road, which many commuters use as a back way into Taunton.

"We frequently see flytipping in the wooded areas or in laybys, but this was something else," added Chris.

"As well as the corrugated roofing, there were a plastic roof panel, synthetic roof slates and newly cut electric flex.

"Maybe someone knows who it is - someone who's recently engaged a builder to demolish or re-roof an old barn or workshop.

"The material would suggest it's an old building, maybe from the 1930s or 40s."

Chris believes the waste was dumped either to avoid paying fees to dispose of it at an official council site or as a grudge.

He said: "They'd have to wrap it all up to dispose of it because of the asbestos and getting rid of it could cost hundreds of pounds.

"It's also possible that whoever did it has a grudge against someone in the area and did it to annoy them.

"I've never seen anything like it. This wasn't your normal flytipping - there was 10 times as much as the average tipping."

Ian said: "It's terrible. I've never seen rubbish like this dumped in the middle of the road."

Meanwhile, police earlier this week advise motorists to avoid the road until the waste had been removed by environmental health workers.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police's Taunton Neighbourhood Policing unit said officers cleared some of the waste to the side of the road and reported the incident to SWT, the relevant authority.

In a social media post, they added: "Flytipping - dumping rubbish on the roadside.

"This is an environmental crime, and you can be fined and/or reported to court.

"There has been a large amount of construction waste in the West Hatch area, which has been reported to the local council.

"Police have attended and made the area as safe as possible, but please avoid this area if at all possible."

Cllr Andy Sully, the executive member for environmental services at Somerset West and Taunton Council said a specialist contractor was hired to remove the building waste on Tuesday morning (November 29).

“Our street cleansing contractor confirmed the fly-tipped waste contained asbestos, so arrangements were made for its removal by an experienced specialist contractor which was completed this morning," said Cllr Sully.

“Those who pay for the removal of waste are ultimately responsible for its safe and legal disposal, meaning they could end up with a criminal record and a fine of thousands of pounds if it is then fly-tipped and traced back to them."

Cllr Sully added: "DIY and builders waste should be disposed of legally through skip hire or using a reputable waste carrier.

" If using the latter, people are urged to ask for the operator’s full address, telephone number and vehicle registration details; their waste carriers’ licence; and to phone the Environment Agency on 0870 8506 506 to get a free instant waste carrier validation check.

"Anyone with information about those suspected to be involved in the illegal depositing of waste can call us in the strictest confidence via 0300 304 8000.”

If you spot any flytipping, you can also contact the council via via my.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/.../Fly...