The fly tipping shame scarring Fife's landscape

In the last week alone, thoughtless fly tippers have dumped garden and builder’s waste, broken furniture and household rubbish in five separate locations along the B9157 approach road into the west end of the Lang Toun, while a truck load of similar waste has been tipped in a layby close to Redhouse Roundabout,

And residents and business owners at Heatherywood – already branded the most fly tipped stretch of road in Fife – are, once again, having to clear the route after it was blocked with rubble stretching across the whole of the road.

“The situation is getting no better despite Fife Council assuring us the area was being monitored,” resident Robert Fraser said.

“The only way those responsible will stop is if they are hit in the pocket.

“The council has to get serious about the issue of fly tipping.

“We need CCTV in order to catch the criminals in the act. Only then can they be prosecuted.

“We need to be sending out a message that this will not be tolerated, but all we seem to do is clean up after them.”

And another Heatherywood business owner put the blame on reduced recycling centre opening times and the introduction of new business permits.

“Those who are dumping won’t pay for a licence – that’s why we are seeing more fly tipping. The council has made things a whole lot worse.”

Council officers admit fly tipping is on the rise.

Dawn Jamieson, safer communities team manager, said: “There’s no excuse for it.

“There’s no pattern to what’s being dumped, and even although there have been changes to the opening times of recycling centres there’s always an alternative should your local one be closed.

“We’re buying CCTV for dumping ‘hot spots’ and I’d urge people to report it if they see anyone dumping rubbish so we can investigate.”