Ancient woods blighted by flytipping

The heap of rubbish, which included a torn-apart armchair and electrical items, was dumped in Footlands Wood, Staplecross.

A walker from Battle took a photo of the mess when she visited the Woodlands Trust-run area of ancient woodland on Sunday afternoon.

Camilla Corner said: “I think it’s disgusting that someone thinks that this is an acceptable thing to do.

“It is such a blot on the landscape.

“I hope they catch the people who did this.”

A Rother District Council spokesman said: “We would like to thank the member of the public for bringing this to our attention and we are investigating the matter. Although it may seem unfair, normally the landowner is responsible for clearing waste dumped on their land.

“We take the issue of flytipping extremely seriously. It is a criminal offence and we will prosecute anyone involved in the illegal dumping of rubbish in our district.

“Residents also have a duty of care to ensure those employed to dispose of waste do so responsibly. If you give your waste to someone else to get rid of, it is important to check that they are a registered waste carrier.

“We would urge any member of the public who comes across illegally dumped rubbish to report it to Rother District Council by calling 01424 787000 or use our online Fault Reporting System at www.rother.gov.uk”