A FARM has become a makeshift dump for fly-tippers — despite there being two free rubbish tips nearby.

Farmer Robert Thornley faces a mass clear-up at the start of each summer from the grazing field on his Top O’th’ Height farm in Slack Fold Lane, Farnworth.

Now he is calling on Bolton Council to do more to clamp down on people illegally dumping rubbish.

Amongst the rubbish currently in the field next to a lay-by are dozens of bin bags, old doors, a toilet seat, tyres and furniture.

The potential health hazard has been building up since October, when Mr Thornley moved his cattle out of the field for the winter.

He said: “It has been like this for a few years now, but every year it just gets worse.

“It will take us two or three days at the start of the summer to clear all that.

“I can’t understand why people do it — there are two free tips nearby at Raikes Lane and Little Hulton.

“We are not responsible for this waste and the council is not doing enough to stop people dumping it, let alone clear it up afterwards.”

Bolton Council said a fixed penalty notice was issued to a fly-tipper in Slack Fold Lane in the last fortnight following an investigation.

However, a spokesman said the investigation is continuing as more rubbish has been dumped since then.

There are no warning signs or cameras in place on the lay-by to deter potential fly-tippers.

Peel Holdings owns the land which is used by Mr Thornley, which Mr Thornley has farmed for about 60 years..

Mr Thornley’s wife, Marion, said: “I’ve rung the council so many times and they always tell me it will take three to five days to come and look at it.

“I’ve almost caught people before, but they’ve driven off just in time.

“The best one we had was a Chinese takeaway — they dumped a load of menus and we rang them up and they had to come back and shift them.”

A council spokesman said: “The land is privately owned and we will contact the owners and ask them to remove the waste as quickly and safely as possible.

“Where items are fly-tipped on private land it is the responsibility of the land owner to clear up the waste.”

l Fly-tipping incidents should be reported to the council by calling 01204 336632.