Rotten food, plastic containers and cardboard boxes have been dumped at a roadside near Weston-super-Mare.

Weston Mercury: Rotten food and plastic containers were among the waste found in Bleadon. Picture: Avon and Somerset ConstabularyRotten food and plastic containers were among the waste found in Bleadon. Picture: Avon and Somerset Constabulary (Image: Avon and Somerset Constabulary)

North Somerset Council has warned people to use trusted and licensed carriers to dispose of rubbish after seeing a string of fly-tipping offences take place in and around the district.

Bleadon’s country roads were blighted last week and Avon and Somerset Constabulary discovered the pile of waste dumped at the roadside.

Police are trying to catch the culprits as the council deals with the tidy up and criminal proceedings.

The police published photos of the scene, saying: “Fly-tipping continues with more rotten fruit and plastic waste contaminating our countryside in Bleadon.”

A council spokesman said: “Fly-tipping is antisocial and has an impact on the environment. There is a cost to its removal but this forms part of our street scene contract.

“Where we can gather evidence as to the fly-tipper’s identity, we will take the necessary action including taking the case to court.

“The court will then consider the evidence put before them and if they find the person guilty they will sentence appropriately.

“If residents suspect fly-tipping is taking place we would ask them to take a description of people and vehicles and registration numbers of any vehicles involved, but without putting themselves in a position where a confrontation could occur; and then report the details to us.

“We would also ask residents to make sure they only use licensed carriers to remove waste – do not use someone who comes knocking on your door offering to remove rubbish for a knock down price – if any offer seems too good to be true it probably means it is too good to be true.”

Statistics from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show North Somerset Council paid out more than £74,000 to clean up 2,064 reported fly-tipping incidents between April 2016 and March 2017.

Over the past couple of months a number of cases of fly-tipping have been reported in the Mercury area, including a pile of rotten food left in Banwell, an estimated five-tonnes of rubbish dumped behind Burnham and Highbridge Train Station and 65 sheets of asbestos material in Kingston Seymour.