Beauty spots blighted by flytippers (From Salisbury Journal)

Beauty spots blighted by flytippers

4:00pm Wednesday 25th November 2009

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BEAUTY spots in the New Forest are still being blighted by fly-tippers.

Anti litter campaigner Mike Marks said in recent weeks a large quantity of household rubbish has been dumped in a gateway in Lyndhurst Road near Bransgore, while carpet and cardboard was abandoned next to the remnants of a bonfire that damaged the turf at Linford Bottom, Ringwood.

Mr Marks, from Ashley Heath, came across the debris scattered around near the Linford Bottom car park when walking his dogs.

“The car park has been blighted – again – by mindless people with no social responsibility,” said Mr Marks, who gave a talk on the dangers to animals of littering and donated 50 litter pickers to Poulner Junior School in July.

And he said that at Linford Bottom aerosols and glue cans had been set on fire.

Mr Marks said there is Forestry Commission keeper’s cottage only two minutes walk away from Linford Bottom, rich in wildlife and where cattle and ponies graze.

“As a local resident with children who appreciate the beauty of the place we call home it astounds me that individuals like these are not able to appreciate their own county,” he said.

“We are truly lucky to have such diversity in our area such as heath, wood and sea as well as the luxury of a cosmopolitan town like Bournemouth on our doorsteps.”

A Forestry Commission spokesman said the keeper had received a report late at night and investigated later.

The commission has a contract with New Forest District Council to remove rubbish.

“It’s probably one of thousands of incidents we have in the New Forest every year,” she said.

A police spokesman said there were no known solvent abuse issues in the area and the containers were more likely to be industrial waste.

Anyone who knows of tipping problems should contact police who can then target specific areas.

Officers can issue £50 fixed penalty notices but district councils have greater powers of prosecution, which can lead to fines of up to £2,000.

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