THE BATTLE against fly-tippers who cost taxpayers more than £8,000 a year is continued to be mounted by Journal readers eager to "Clean Up The Vale".

Residents tell of heaps of rubbish mysteriously turning up in town and country sites and even outside a breaker's yard.

Graham Gailey walks his Jack Russell terrier near the Windmill Hill nature reserve at the back of Kanes Foods factory in Middle Littleton on a daily basis. He regularly comes across dumped drainpipes, abandoned toilets and other kinds of waste.

Mr Gailey said: "I pick up rubbish in the village every day and there is always a carrier bag full at least. They must dump the stuff in the middle of the night because I have never actually seen anyone do it - I am just fed up with it because it is a beautiful spot and it is being ruined."

Tim Haines who lives in Common Road, Evesham said: "People toilets, fridges and all sort of other things outside the breakers' yard and I never see them doing it, it's a disgrace."

Owner of the breakers yard, Richard Hartwell said he had been the victim of fly-tipping for more than five years but complaints to the council had resulted in little action.

He said last week he had to threaten to dump 30 fridges left outside his yard on the council's doorstep before they sent officers out to remove them.

Mr Hartwell said he had photographic records of fly-tipping at the site and said he was now thinking of using a video camera because although he had caught people in the act, he had been told by the council that there was not enough evidence to prosecute.

Mark Edwards, Wychavon's waste management officer, said the dumped fridges had been reported to the council last Tuesday and removed the next day.

Also reported to the Journal by readers this week were three or four fly-tipping hotspots in Peewit Road in Hampton, the route to the old tip, where more than 40 tyres and six car bumpers were spotted this week.

Anyone who knows of a rubbish hotspot can contact the Journal newsdesk on 01386 765678, the district council on 01386 565399 or the Environment Agency Hotline on 0800 807060.