PILES of “disgusting filth” have been dumped at a Southampton recycling centre.

Clothes, rotting food and empty bottles are just some of the items fly-tipped in a Woolston carpark on Oakbank Road.

Locals are now calling on the city council to remove the mountain of rubbish, which started to build up before Christmas.

Resident Vicki Grant said: “It’s disgusting, it just doesn’t get picked up. We pay our taxes and you expect it to be cleared up. It is just totally grim.

“I have even written to the council but they have not replied.”

Cllr Warwick Payne, pictured, who represents Woolston, said he had “lost count” of the number of times he has reported fly-tipping at the centre.

He added: “To their credit, council workers respond quickly and clear the dumped material, but sadly it isn’t long before the litter bugs return, and their antisocial actions make me very frustrated.

“It’s not fair on the vast majority of people who use their bins and recycling centres properly.

“These litterbugs blight our communities, but the law makes it really tough to bring them to justice.”

The report comes days after fly-tippers dumped bags of waste at bins and clothing banks at Cannon Street, in Shirley.

Books, children’s toys, and empty beer bottles and cans were found alongside the recycling bins.

One shop manager criticised the council for not taking action against the fly-tipping.

CCTV is now in operation in the area, to help catch fly-tippers.

At the start of the year, rotting turkey carcasses and a bottle of urine were among hundreds of items found at recycling bins in in a car park beside the River Itchen in Southampton.

On at least one occasion a dog was seen scavenging for food amongst the rubbish.

Locals criticised the city council for taking too long to remove the mountain of rubbish, saying it started to build-up before Christmas.

Those with information about the fly-tipping incidents should contact the council online at southampton.gov.uk/environmental-issues/street-cleaning/fly-tipping.aspx.