FED-UP fishermen will tomorrow clear a canalside car park blighted by fly-tippers.
Bolton and District Anglers' Association is hiring its own skip to clean up the area, off Hall Lane in Little Lever, amid confusion over who owns it.
Other litter-hit land around the Bolton to Bury Canal basin next to Moses Gate Country Park is owned either privately, by Bolton Council or British Waterways.
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But all parties deny ownership of the car park, which is mainly used by fishermen.
Rubbish including builders' waste, household junk, beer cans and even used condoms has been left strewn across the area.
And a brick outbuilding off a pathway leading to the canal has become a magnet for litter-tipping, under-age drinkers and anti-social behaviour.
Anglers' association secretary Terry McKee said: "It's become a dumping ground for things like rubble, bricks and slabs and because it's not lit you get druggies and couples down there at night."
Little Lever councillor Sean Hornby and council officers this week met Stockport-based Sean Donelon, who owns part of the land, to discuss the problems.
It has since emerged Mr Donelon owns the brick building and he has agreed to secure it, possibly with a steel door.
Cllr Hornby said he was hoping officers would look at replacing an existing vehicle height restriction barrier with a gate to be locked at night.
He said an agreement has also been reached for council staff to clean up the whole area, regardless of ownership.
Mr McKee acknowledged council efforts to tidy the land but said he believed British Waterways owned the car park and as landowner was not doing enough to keep it tidy.
Mr McKee said: "Over the years it has been horrible. We try to keep the car park tidy but I think the landowner should be taking more responsibility."
A British Waterways spokesman said it did not own the car park. He added that maintenance staff regularly inspected waterway land and dealt with fly-tipping, as well as responding to complaints.
A council spokeswoman said the authority had conducted its own recent clean-up, had removed broken glass left from a burned out car and had advised Mr Donelon to keep his land clear of waste.
Mr Donelon said: "It was not clear whether this outbuilding was in the ownership of ourselves or British Waterways but we are reacting in a positive way and hope that by securing the building we will deter fly-tipping."
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