Fly-tipper dumped this rubbish in woods near Bedford - but some residents say Central Beds Council only has itself to blame

You don’t necessarily expect to see fly-tipping in somewhere as pretty as Maulden Woods – but on Monday, council officers made this discovery.

However, instead of being appalled, some residents have hit out at the Central Bedfordshire Council, saying it’s brought the problem on itself.

In a post on social media, the council said after clearing the rubbish it an investigation into who had dumped it – and told people to never pay cash to anyone if they want rubbish removed as they could end up with an unwanted fine.

But after introducing a new system at the start of this month where visitors to Ampthill tip have to show ID proving they live in the area, some residents have clapped back.

One person posted: “It’s your own fault for making it so hard to get into tidy tips. Absolutely ridiculous.”

While another added: “If we didn't have ID checks at our tips maybe they would have used one.”

When the scheme was unveiled, Lorna Carver – director of place and communities – said: “Given the ever-increasing costs of running our Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), it’s right that our council tax payers don’t bear the costs incurred by non-Central Bedfordshire residents who use them. It will also mean that our HWRCs are under less pressure and have shorter queues, particularly at peak usage times.”

Visit here if you see someone fly-tipping or want to report fly-tipping

Be warned – if you’re caught, you may receive a £400 fixed penalty notice or worse, imprisonment and a criminal record.