FLY tipping is a growing problem in north and west Wiltshire and would-be dumpers have been told there is no excuse for it.

Both North Wiltshire District Council and West Wiltshire District Council have ensured there is provision for getting rid of unwanted furniture and rubbish in their areas with household recycling centres a short drive away from most towns.

Sites in north Wiltshire include the centre at Stanton St Quinton and in west Wiltshire people can take their items to Warminster or the new centre at Melksham.

A regular spot for illegal fly tippers is the King Street car park in Melksham which council officers are called to virtually every week.

Cleansing management officer Rob Powell, of West Wiltshire District Council, said: "We have had a lot of problems at the King Street car park in Melksham and fly tipping is happening on a regular basis.

"Over the weekend a lot of furniture appeared and it is happening about two or three times a week, even after the new recycling centre opened at Bowerhill."

He said it was becoming a growing problem.

"It is happening all the time and is terrible. It is mostly furniture. With the new site opening people have got no excuse for doing it at all," he said.

The council planned to clear the site on Tuesday, December 18.

West Wiltshire District Council spokesman Louise Knox said: "In the majority of cases people are using their cars to fly tip and are getting in their vehicle to dump their rubbish in a lane or layby somewhere.

"The same action they take to fly tip could easily see them drive to their local tip or recycling centre."

Although the community skip service has ended in west Wiltshire, a skip will be at the Broad Street car park in Trowbridge every Friday until the town's planned recycling centre opens in Canal Road next year.

Tip-offs received by the Wiltshire Times this week include bags of rubbish behind a garage block in Hollybush Road, Warminster, bedding units beside the Wingfield to Bradford on Avon road, cooker units and plastic piping at West Ashton, and an abandoned yellow van in the Great Mills Focus car park in Trowbridge.

We are passing details of each complaint to West Wiltshire District Council so action can be taken.