Fly-tippers dump 62-ton mountain of rubbish

The hunt is now on to find the culprits who left mounds of car parts, earth, wood, rubble and oil on land in Wombourne and Himley.

Council chiefs say it will take around a week to clear the mess, which was enough to fill at least 15 lorry loads as they launched an appeal to track down the fly-tippers.

The majority of the rubbish – a pile of around 32 tons – was dumped on a public right of way leading to Wombourne Sewage Works, just off Bridgnorth Road.

That pile almost stretched to the height of lorries used to clear it, bosses said.

Four incidents of mass fly-tipping have taken place in the past week, with the most recent discovered yesterday morning. It was found near to Severn Trent's sewage treatment works, again off Bridgnorth Road, while a load was discovered near to sewage works in Himley last week.

Officers believe that the make up of the rubbish means it may have come from a scrap or breaker's yard, or even an industrial estate.

Councillor Roger Lees, South Staffordshire District Council's environment chief, said: "This case is certainly unusual, given the sheer amount of rubbish that has been dumped.

"We have been working closely with businesses and local people to help reduce fly tipping, and this has resulted in a huge reduction over the past seven years.

"However, we also know there are a few unscrupulous people who continually flout the law and we will not be afraid to prosecute anyone who does not dispose of their rubbish appropriately."

Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious is asked to call South Staffordshire Council's environmental crime team on 01902 696200.