FESTIVE flytippers have been condemned for dumping rubbish rather than disposing of it correctly.

Law-abiding residents are concerned additional Christmas waste is resulting in flytipping across north Essex.

Bags of litter were left in Alton Park Road, Clacton, just days after a number of bags of waste were strewn near bottle banks in Walton.

A Tesco supermarket employee was also left infuriated after passing rubbish which had been abandoned near a recycling point in Clacton.

Everything from empty boxes of beer to discarded black bags have been found in the inconsiderately-dumped piles.

One resident also found a haul of scrap featuring children’s play equipment and a window thrown away on a plot of land in Kirby-le-Soken.

Some angry residents believe the unsightly flytipping could be a result of the increased level of rubbish triggered by the festive period.

Marion Cray, who moved to Clacton five years ago to care for her mum, says she feels frequently let down by the condition of the district when she goes for walks.

She said: “Flytippers need to be caught, named and shamed and be given a hefty fine because what gives anyone the right to dump rubbish like we have seen over Christmas?

“If recycling centres are not open, then you keep hold of it until you can get to one or pay a responsible company to collect and dispose of it.

“I was raised with values and I would never dump rubbish because it is an absolute disgrace and is becoming a real problem.

“Tendring Council needs to be on top of this because this needs acknowledgement and not just brushing aside.”

Liz Lewis, who discovered the heap of mess in Alton Park Road, experienced a similar issue last year.

She added: “I cannot stand flytippers because it looks a mess and then the council has to come and clear it, which is a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“It is not the first time I have had to report flytipping in this area, the lot last year was there for weeks.”

A spokesman for Tendring Council said the district does generally see increased fly-tipping between Christmas and New Year.

In what could be seen as a move to mitigate festive fly-tipping, this year residents were allowed to have two additional bags collected after Christmas.

They also said waste being left around litter bins can also be more prevalent during this period and is magnified by bank holiday disruption to collections.

Regardless, Michael Talbot, Tendring councillor responsible for the environment, said there is never an excuse for people to dump waste.

“We absolutely condemn fly-tipping, which places pressure both on private landowners and, where it happens on public land, on taxpayers,” he said.

“It also has a horrible impact on communities and our environment.

“Where fly-tipping occurs on our land we respond promptly to clear the waste, and where possible investigate further to find those responsible and take appropriate action.

“When waste is dumped on private land it is the responsibility of the landowner to remove it, though if it causes a hazard to public health then we may be able to take action.”