FLY-TIPPERS dumped a box marked as NHS property on a patch of land in Radcliffe – sparking fears it could contain dangerous medical waste.

Cross Lane resident David Keyworth said the site is frequently blighted by discarded rubbish but he had never before seen anything identified as belonging to the NHS left there.

Bury Council sent workers to attend the patch of land, close to Cross Lane, who confirmed the green crate was empty and the rubbish was mainly domestic waste.

A spokesman for Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said green storage crates, identical to the one pictured, have not been used by the NHS for a decade.

He said: “The NHS stopped using these boxes about 10 years ago and would only ever have been used for general transportation – not for medical waste.

“This was not left there by Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.”

The land is owned by CHP properties, formerly known as P&F Properties – the company who also own the old East Lancashire Paper Mill site off Church Street East.

Mr Keyworth said: “This fly-tipping site is near my house so I have to go past it every time I come in and go out. I am embarrassed to bring people to my home and it brings down Radcliffe as a whole.

“The council don’t take it seriously – when I first complained I just received an email telling me to attend the Radcliffe Township Forum."