Fear over decline of Fife industrial estate where human remains were found

John Grant lives in Whitehill Road, in one of the eight houses set amongst the various factories and industrial units.

The remains were found on Sunday, September 27, but extensive enquiries have so far failed to make a positive identification.

Work carried out confirmed the remains are that of a man aged at least 35, potentially older, of slight build and around 5’8”-5’9” tall.

He had lost a number of teeth during his life, and had a surgical plate attached to his ankle – it is believed he is likely to have died two years ago.

John revealed parts of the industrial estate have been allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair that a conversation he had with a police officer has proven ‘prophetic’.

He said: “I live about 100m from where the human remains were found and it is sad to say, but us residents were not at all surprised by this grim discovery.

“A policeman who came to attend a fire in the summer told me he was glad to have found out the condition of the units because this estate would be a good place to look for missing persons. Well, it has happened now.

“The whole estate has been in a downward spiral for the last few years. As more and more units were vacated, they were broken into by thieves and thereafter completely gutted by thugs.

“That fact obviously became known by those who started dumping all sorts of items. We regularly see sofas, wardrobes, fridges, washing machines, lawn mowers , TVs, and construction material appearing overnight.

“Derelict internal roads also became popular with travellers that set illegal camps for years nearly every summer, often leaving behind old caravans full of rubbish, and piles of gas canisters behind.

“The general state of disrepair has encouraged all sorts of anti-social and criminal behaviour, from fires to thefts. Most units stand empty, with asbestos roofs caving in. We regularly see youths going in, with the subsequent risk that they fall amongst the rubble or something falls on their heads.

“In addition the increase in rubbish, including household waste is attracting vermin that we see running free in our gardens.

“We have been in touch with Fife Council and councillors, but to no avail. I have asked for a year now that the rubbish is removed, the estate is sanitised and the units are sealed off.

“The words of the policeman who said this industrial estate was a good place to look for missing persons were prophetic.

“We don’t want this to happen again and would like to ask the council to follow its duty of care towards its citizens and make the estate safe.”

Fife Council says it is aware of the situation at Whitehill Industrial Esate and is investigating, but its resources are too stretched at the current time to deal with it.

Dawn Jamieson, team manager, said: “Unfortunately, in these challenging times, when our services are already under pressure, there are a growing number of reports of fly-tipping around Fife. Everyone is responsible for their own waste and must dispose of their rubbish responsibly.

“We’re aware that rubbish has been dumped at Whitehill Industrial Estate and are currently investigating with partners, SEPA. We’ve also spoken to relevant businesses and provided signage to deter fly-tipping.

“There’s no excuse for fly-tipping, which is a blatant disregard of the law and of our outdoor environment. No one wants to see rubbish dumped, and it has a direct impact on the condition of our roads, parks, wildlife and communities.

“Our recycling centres are open and we would urge people to make use of these facilities and dispose of recyclable waste responsibly. Please also check that anyone you ask to take your waste away is properly registered to do so.

“Help keep Fife a great place to live, work and visit. Report fly-tipping by filling out the form at www.fife.gov.uk/flytipping and we’ll take the appropriate action.”

Anyone who can help with the ongoing investigation to identify the dead man is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, email [email protected] or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, in confidence.

Information, including photographs, video and images, can also be submitted through the Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) which is a website that gives members of the public access to a form so they can send information direct to the major incident teams via the website www.mipp.police.uk.