Outrage over tyres dumped on operator

Shropshire hovercraft operator Tim Robbins was furious when he arrived at work this week after finding more than 100 tyres dumped on the land he uses for his leisure business.

And Mr Robbins has now discovered that, not only does he have the problem of moving the tyres from the land near Oswestry, he will also have to foot the bill which could cost him more than £200.

The businessman says he is amazed that neither the police, nor the local council could help with his plight.

The pile of tyres was discovered by Mr Robbins when he arrived at Hoverdays on the Rednal Industrial Estate yesterday morning.

"There were more than 100 tyres just dumped on the land. Someone had come here overnight and tipped them," he said."I contacted the police and they said there was little they could do. Then I contacted Oswestry Borough Council.

"They said they could do nothing as the tyres had been dumped on private and not public land," he said.

"I have been told that it is going to cost £2 a tyre to get rid of the pile, which I certainly did not ask for. If someone thought I might want tyres, then why bring them here in the middle of the night."

Carmen Power, from Oswestry Borough Council, said the council had every sympathy with Mr Robbins but said the dumping of rubbish on private land was outside the council's jurisdiction.

"We are the authority responsible for dealing with litter and rubbish on public land, under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act," she said.

"If there is evidence of who is responsible for dumping of rubbish on private land then we may be able to help the landowner to investigate.

"However, as we find with fly-tipping on public land, it is very difficult to establish who is responsible.

"We do not have a duty to deal with rubbish dumped on private land," she added.