A RESIDENT has called for “selfish” fly-tippers to be slapped with harsher punishments after finding a country lane covered in dumped mess.

Philip Young, 60, has lived in Great Bentley for 15 years and now fears his beloved village and the surrounding area is becoming blighted with fly-tipped waste.

Earlier this week he found piles of disregarded rubbish consisting of everything from tree trunks and carpet to pieces of wood and lino flooring.

The discovery was made on a section of Frating Road, between Thorrington and Great Bentley, which Mr Young believes is becoming regularly dumping ground.

He said: “It is becoming a massive problem and I am disappointed by it because I feel people have come to not respect the countryside.

“I do not know why people think this is OK because I could not sleep at night knowing I have dumped rubbish like this – these people have no conscience.

“They are selfish and lazy and do not care about anyone else, and they are the type of people who would give you a black eye if you confronted them.”

Last month, the Gazette revealed fly-tipped waste is discovered in Tendring on average twice a day and five times a day in Colchester.

According to figures published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 671 fly-tipping incidents were reported to Tendring Council in 2019-20.

The data also showed 1,649 fly-tipping incidents were reported to Colchester Council over the same period.

Mr Young, who says other parts of Great Bentley are also becoming hotspots, now wants to see harsher punishments given to fly-tippers to deter them.

He added: “People are also dumping bags of household rubbish everywhere which then attracts rats and birds.

“It is just pure arrogance from them and the only way they will stop is if they get caught and it hits their pocket because this is all about money.

“It does not matter who these people are or where they are coming from, they just need to stop fly-tipping.

“I am not an environmentalist but if you are going to fly-tip and ruin the countryside then you need to be taken to task over it.”