Appeal after huge piles of waste illegally dumped in Ayrshire

Large amounts of waste have been illegally dumped by lorries across East Ayrshire last month.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said the rubbish - at an industrial estate in Kilmarnock and a business park in Lugar - would have a serious impact on the local environment.

It said the illegal deposits, which both took place in late December, appeared to have been made by white lorries passing through the region.

The watchdog has now appealed for witnesses or anyone with details on the crimes to come forward with information.

The first deposit of waste was discovered near the Dundonald Road area of the Moorfield Industrial Estate in Kilmarnock and is believed to have been deposited between 22-29 December.

A second waste deposit was discovered at the IMEX Business Park, Lugar, locally known as Lugar Works, on 30 December.

The vehicles believed to be involved are thought to have been travelling through Muirkirk to Lugar between 16:00 and 18:00 that day.

Kirsty McHarg, Sepa's south-west Scotland unit manager, said: "From the reports received, it seems this dumping has been done by white sided lorries.

"We believe those responsible travelled through both locations and hope this appeal may jog memories, or that people with dashcam footage or with access to CCTV in these locations might have spotted something that might help our investigation.

"Not only does waste crime have a serious impact on the environment, communities and legitimate businesses, but it also costs taxpayers tens of millions of pounds a year for clean-ups, and in avoided tax and lost revenue."

She added that people should be aware of any suspicious activity, such as unusual vehicle movement or activity at unused sites, and contact Sepa with any concerns.