FLY-tippers were caught in the act dumping rubbish on the Churchfields industrial estate in Salisbury on Tuesday.

Police were called to an area of wasteland off Brunel Road at 11.20am after a witness saw two men dumping waste from a white Ford Transit van.

They said a member of the public had already confronted the pair, who were loading the items back into the van when officers arrived.

Sergeant Steven Jolly of Salisbury police said: “Fly-tipping is an issue for the local authority to deal with, rather than the police.

“However, we were contacted by a member of the public who had seen items being dumped in the Churchfields Industrial Estate, so officers attended.

“By the time we arrived the items had already started being loaded back into the van, so an officer gave the men strong words of advice about fly-tipping. We will now be liaising with the local authority about the incident.

“We know that fly-tipping is a real concern for the public and is unsightly, irresponsible and unhygienic – creating mess for someone else to clear up.

Wiltshire Council said: “We are determined to eradicate fly-tipping in Wiltshire as it costs significant money and time to investigate – money we’d much rather spend on vital services.

“Last year someone from Wiltshire was jailed for fly-tipping and we hope this sends a clear message that it is not acceptable.

“We have liaised with the police about this specific incident and are investigating it based on the information obtained.

“We always make every effort to investigate and take action against the individuals who do this.

“When the public are out and about we’d encourage them to download My Wiltshire or visit our website to report to us any incidents of fly-tipping that they see.”

City council leader Matthew Dean said: “We gather evidence at the city council and urge Wiltshire Council to prosecute fly-tippers on behalf of residents and I hope they do in this case. I’d like to congratulate those responsible for catching these fly-tippers red handed.”

Opposition councillor John Walsh said cuts to the opening hours at the household recycling centre were “very regrettable” as they tended to lead to more fly-tipping.

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