Huge fly-tip at Davidstow Woods in Cornwall sparks anger

The mound of rubbish, which includes building waste and piles of black bin bags, was recently discovered at Davidstow Woods near Camelford Credit: BPM Media

Residents in north Cornwall have been left "appalled" by a huge fly-tip at a historic beauty site.

The mound of rubbish, which includes building waste and piles of black bin bags, was recently discovered at Davidstow Woods near Camelford.Barry Whitley, who shared pictures of the fly-tip on social media, said a second pile of rubbish had been also dumped at the site within the space of a week.

He added that the high winds in the area had blown the lighter materials "everywhere." Whilst he believes the site has since been cleared by the landowners, many residents shared their views within the comments.

The fly-tipping has left local residents up in arms Credit: BPM Media

One Camelford resident wrote: "Makes me so angry... they go to the trouble of driving up there so why not drive to the tip."

Whilst another added: "Terrible. What a mess to our beautiful countryside."

A third simply wrote: "That's horrible", whilst another described the act as "barbaric."

Steve Perry, who runs the Cornwall at War Museum, regularly gives tours of Davidstow Airfield, which backs onto the woods, and has extensive knowledge about the site and its surrounding areas.

He said: Fly-tipping is a regular occurrence in the area and said there is no excuse or it, especially since there is a recycling centre just a few miles from the woods.

"It's crazy that people will dump their rubbish there when there's a recycling centre a few miles away

He added: "People fly-tip their waste there all the time but there's no excuse for it. It just comes down to laziness."They think they can get away with it by going there at night when there's no one around and they can just dump the rubbish out their car and leave.

"It just shows a lack of respect. The airfield was once used by people fighting for this country, now it's used as a free rubbish tip and that makes me angry."He continued: "It's a wonderful historic place and people regularly come here for tours or to go on walks but what they end up seeing is rubbish everywhere. There's just no need for it."

Fly-tipping is illegal and carries a large penalty. The offender can be sent to prison. If you discover fly-tipped waste, the advice on Cornwall Council's website states:

Do not:

  • Touch the waste - it may contain syringes, broken glass, asbestos, toxic chemicals or other hazardous substances.

  • Disturb the site - there may be evidence that could help identify the fly-tippers and lead to their prosecution.Do:

  • Visually try to work out what the waste consists of and how much there is.

  • Make a note of the day, date and time you saw the tipping, its exact location and whether it is in or near water.

Cornwall Council urges people to report fly-tipping, giving as much detail as possible. However, the council says it is unable to act on reports of fly-tipping on private land which should be reported to the landowner as it will be their responsibility to clear the waste.