PILES of asbestos roofing, pipes and rubbish have been selfishly dumped outside a well-loved nature reserve just months after vandals targeted the site.

The mess, which has been left at the entrance of RSPB Bowers Marsh, was ditched at the Bowers Gifford site on Saturday.

Sadly, bosses say they are now used to seeing fly-tipping on a “regular occurrence”.

It comes after the nature reserve was forced to shut in March after thugs wreaked havoc in the middle of the night and caused damage to the metal car park barrier by bending it inwards.

At the time, the reserve had been targeted by vandals four times in just six months.

A frequent visitor to the reserve, who wished to remain anonymous, has been left infuriated the normally “tranquil and peaceful” reserve has once again been hit by law-breakers.

The 66-year-old from Bowers Gifford, said: “We saw the fly-tipping when we went for a walk Monday morning. I couldn’t believe it and was honestly shocked.

“You can see it’s old corrugated roofing and asbestos has to be disposed of in the appropriate way, so they probably thought ‘oh let’s just dump it’. But if you get it in your lungs it can be very dangerous.”

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Nature reserve forced to close after vandals target site for fourth time in six months

Disgusted, councillor David Harrison, from the leisure and environment committee, has also slammed the “cowboy flytippers” for leaving their mess.

He said: “Dumping asbestos anywhere is absolutely criminal, but especially on a nature reserve. It can only be moved by qualified people which makes the clean up even more expensive.”

The RSPB site manager, said: “We are aware of the fly tipping at the entrance of Bowers Marsh, and do believe that it is asbestos roofing, pipes etcetera.

“We have reported it to Basildon Council as it is on the road and not within the boundary of the nature reserve. It is unfortunately a relatively regular occurrence and we as a charity work with Basildon Council to resolve the issues.”