PILES and piles of what appears to be household rubbish has been found dumped in a pretty country lane near Painswick.

The carelessly disposed of waste was spotted by a horrified member of the public yesterday afternoon in Sevenleaze Lane between Edge and Painswick.

Amongst the rubbish there are a distinctive number of items, including fabric, toothbrushes, carpets and plasterboard, which the good citizen who spotted the eyesore is hoping will help to identify the culprits.

Although wishing to remain anonymous the concerned walker sent the SNJ photos and videos to illustrate the extent of the ‘mindless’ actions.

“This is mindless, it makes me livid,” he said. “It looks like the rubbish is mainly residential and there are quite a few distinctive bits and bobs, so hopefully there will be enough information to identify the culprits.”

Under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act residents have a responsibility to ensure that household waste is disposed of in accordance with legislation or face fines of up to thousands of pounds.

Additionally, if a homeowner pays for an individual to work on their property or dispose of their waste on their behalf, and they do not see the contractor’s waste transfer note, then they will remain responsible for that waste and could be subject to prosecution if it is later fly-tipped.

Officers from Stroud District Council are known to use CCTV cameras, vehicle tracking devices, internet searches, police and criminal evidence interviews and a verity of other investigation techniques to catch flytippers.

With incidents of fly-tipping on the rise, the council has increased the priority given to pursuing fly-tippers.

If you have seen evidence of fly-tipping or can help Stroud District Council to identify the culprits then please complete the online form on the SDC website.