'You put lives at risk': Flytippers slammed as 250 tyres dumped on Sunderland road

An investigation has now been launched after around 250 tyres were dumped on Foxcover Road, near East Herrington.

Sunderland City Council staff have now removed the tyres as shocking pictures show the extent of the fly-tipping incident.

Motorists attempting to avoid major delays on the A19 this morning following a five-vehicle smash were faced with a row of hundreds of abandoned tyres blocking much of the narrow lane.

Councillor Amy Wilson, the city council's cabinet member for Environment and Transport, said: "The City Council can confirm that approximately 250 tyres were dumped in Foxcover Road and many were blocking the road.

"I would like to thank all the members of the public who reported the incident and council staff have now removed all the tyres.

"The incident is being investigated by the council and Northumbria Police are assisting with the investigation.

"I would urge anybody who knows more about this to please contact the council or the police as soon as possible.

"This was a dreadful and appalling criminal act that has put lives at risk.

"The number for information is 520 5550."

Councillor Stuart Porthouse, who represents the St Chad’s ward where the tyres were dumped, is appealing to the public to help catch the people responsible.

He said: "We need more people to come forward if they see a case of flytipping happening to report it.

"We've recently had a case where a witness has reported the crime and we've been able to give the person responsible a £350 fixed penalty.

"It's quite a long road so we can't have CCTV camera ever hundred yards but we are looking at a way to identify the vehicles going in and out of the road from both ends.

"It's becoming a hot spot for flytippers, on Saturday there was quite a bit flytipped on the road.

"There's a team that travel along the road nearly every day to check nothing has been left.

"I know it's a case of being in the right place at the right time to see this happening but if members of the public could come forward and are prepared to be a witness it's a huge help.

"These people have got to be caught and have the full weight of the law thrown at them."

Last year, household items including a fridge, fences and furniture were dumped in Foxcover Lane near East Herrington.

Residents have hit out at the scale of the most recent case of flytipping and they say similar incidents are becoming a common occurrence on the road.

Marie-Claire Young said "This lane really needs CCTV at either end to monitor vans who go along full and come out empty.

"People are using it as a tip. Someone who has gained financially from obtaining this waste has damaged our environment by dumping this stuff, and it will be all of us who end up paying for their greed when the council has to increase the council tax to afford to pay for the clean-ups after these selfish morons.

"This makes me so angry."

Robert Irvine said: "The flytipping is getting worse but I’ve never seen anything this bad.

"It just looks absolutely horrendous. You can just see ha there's a whole line of them all the way down the road."

The Echo is continuing its Clean Streets campaign, which is calling on Wearsiders to be more responsible for their own waste in an effort to build a cleaner, more inviting and more welcoming city.

Anyone who sees items they think have been fly-tipped on a street or green space can contact Sunderland City Council to arrange its removal either by reporting it online at sunderland.gov.uk or by calling 0191 520 5550.