Fly-tipping in village river 'raises hackles'

Volunteers fear they will left to clear fly-tipping from a Cambridgeshire watercourse.

Black bin bags of rubbish has been dumped in waterways between Thorney and Whittlesey, near Peterborough.

Litter picker Matthew Marraner, who lives in Eye, said: "It's a big problem and it's very difficult to clean because the council determines it's not their responsibility, so it comes downs to volunteers to take the rubbish out and put it somewhere where it can be collected."

Peterborough city councillor for Eye, Thorney and Newborough, Steve Allen, said: "The dumping of debris in the Thorney River has in the past been mercifully pretty limited, but the latest tipping really raised hackles."

"This contamination threatens the fish and all the invertebrates using the channel, as well as contaminating the land each side - and of course ultimately impacts on us as humans," the Conservative councillor added.

Marraner, who regularly clears out ditches around the Eye area, said the incidents were "depressing" for residents and volunteers.

"You are proud of your efforts and then rubbish is back again a week later," he said.

"Sometimes you wonder why you would do it. There's regular fly-tipping in the rural areas and it's quite horrific.

"It's concerning too because we don't know what is actually in the rubbish - it could be chemicals, or building materials."

Previously, at a public meeting held in August, people living in and around Eye, Thorney, and Newborough, demanded stronger deterrents, tougher fines and faster action to deal with the ongoing issue, including a hotline to report the crime.

Allen said he was "convinced the level of fly tipping has not diminished" since the meeting, adding that the working group is expected to meet soon to discuss the problem.

He said the North Level Drainage board is responsible for the retrieval of the rubbish from the water course.

The body has been contacted for a comment by the BBC.

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