Yobs slammed for '˜deplorable' fly-tipping in Sunderland country lane

Items were left in Foxcover Lane, in East Herrington, on two separate occasions over the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Bin bags full of rubbish, bits of cardboard and wood, gas bottles, paint tins and other items were left scattered across the beauty spot, which leads from East Herrington to the A183 Chester Road near Penshaw Monument.

The same area was blighted by a similar dumping on Tuesday, August 7.

Councillor Stuart Porthouse, who serves St Chad’s ward, took pictures of the mess and described it as “deplorable”.

He has called on the Government to impose stronger sentences on those found guilty of fly-tipping.

Coun Porthouse said: “It’s totally unacceptable that someone thinks it’s OK to dump rubbish and building materials along a public highway where families with young children walk.

“There is a huge cost employing people to clean up this kind of a mess all paid for out of the public purse.

“Within a short time someone had returned and dumped a second load.

“Unfortunately the council alone cannot stop this unlawful act they need the help of public minded people to step forward and report any information they have to apprehend those responsible.

“Hopefully those responsible will be prosecuted and receive a heavy penalty for such a deplorable act of wanting fly tipping.

“Furthermore at present there is a major problem of delays in prosecutions and I call on the Government to urgently streamline the courts and prosecution process for offences.

“I support the Local Government Association’s proposal that we need to make sure that when councils take offenders to court, a faster, more effective legal system ensures that all fly-tipping offences result in hard-hitting fines.”

The latest incident comes as the Echo’s Clean Streets campaign continues to call on all residents to take care of their own rubbish and create a brighter, cleaner and more welcoming area for people to live and work in.

Sunderland City Council cabinet member for environment and transport Councillor Amy Wilson also criticised those responsible, saying: “Anti-social behaviour of this type will not be tolerated in our city.

“Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and those responsible will be prosecuted wherever and whenever possible.

“We will not hesitate to use our increased enforcement powers to investigate fly-tippers and take all appropriate action against individuals whose behaviour affects our environment.

“Our residents also have a huge part to play in helping us to address environmental crimes of this nature by reporting any concerns they may have to sunderland.gov.uk or on 0191 520 5550.

“People may also choose to make their local ward councillors aware.

“If the community all works together we can all do something to help stop the fly-tippers, and the Clean Streets campaign is another way of helping raise awareness of where problems occur and the valuable time and resources being taken up to deal with them.”