THE "scourge" of fly-tipping continues as a caravan full of a rubbish was dumped next to a farm this week.

The wagon was found next to Seddon Fold Farm by Harry Houghton who lives nearby.

The Lock Lane resident told The Bolton News that fly-tipping has been getting worse in the Hunger Hill area.

He said: “There’s always rubbish dumped in Lock Lane. It’s an area where a lot of people walk. It just depresses you when people just dump their rubbish there. I know the farmer. He said [clearing the rubbish] is becoming a full-time job. The farmer is going out of his mind."

Westhoughton North and Chew Moor councillor Bernadette Eckersley-Fallon said that there was a "massive surge" of fly-tipping in Hunger Hill last year.

She found more than 30 tyres dumped nearby when she was out litter-picking with other residents.

Cllr Christine Wild, who also represents the area, described the problem as a "scourge".

She said: “I know it’s a problem. I really do think it’s happening increasingly. It’s particularly a problem when it’s private land.

"It seems to be changing areas. You get some fly-tipping on the roads like Chew Moor Lane and in Hunger Hill. But it just changes. I suppose people move around."

Her colleague, Cllr Adele Warren, who is responsible for environmental service delivery at the council, understands why people are fed up.

But she said that there is always a "backlash" after Christmas as people dump excess waste and old furniture.

She also said that the lack of foliage in the winter exposes the rubbish left under trees and bushes.

When asked whether the level of fly-tipping has increased in the borough, she said the statistics show it is "fairly constant".

She said: “In terms of the figures there hasn’t been. But in terms of residents seeing it and not being blind to it anymore, that’s actually changed quite a lot. I do think there’s been a huge increase in people throwing rubbish out of their car windows.”

The Breightmet councillor explained that while the council must remove rubbish from roads it manages, when waste is dumped on private land, it is the owners' responsibility to deal with it.

She said: “It’s unfortunate because they haven’t done it. You have to feel compassionate to the private landowners because it’s not their fault.

“It’s a criminal activity – it’s illegal to fly tip. It’s a scourge on our neighbourhoods and it’s enrages residents. It really upsets them if they are doing the right thing with their waste and there’s a pile of rubbish on their streets."

Cllr Warren also warned residents against using “man in van” unlicensed waste removal services, something which the council is trying to "clamp down" on.

She said: “A lot of residents don’t realise that because it’s their waste, they are legally responsible if the rubbish can be traced back to them."

She added:“We recognise that you don’t want to live in a dump. We want to help make Bolton a cleaner and greener place."

“We support volunteer organisations like my own volunteer organisation, Breightmet Litter Pickers. If you go onto land that’s private to litter pick, sometimes you get hundreds of bags. The council is paying for the disposal of that rubbish."