Fly-tippers target Riverside Park car park in Southampton

Beds, paint, old clothes and even asbestos have all been dumped at Riverside Park car park.

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Now there are demands to get tough on those who dump their waste illegally. And it is backed by calls for severe fines for fly-tippers who turn parts of the city into eyesores.

Albert Smith walks his dog in the area every day but is upset at the amount of rubbish.

Rubbish dumped in the car park off Woodmill Lane

The 67-year-old retired docker of Townhill Park said: “It’s getting ridiculous. A while back there was a pile of asbestos.

“You see beds, clothes, tins of paint. Everything really. I am disgusted by it. I am getting so frustrated by it.”

Albert described the park as a nice open space to go for a walk along the river. However, says that fly-tipping is now a regular problem that happens “every week”.

Albert who is “Southampton born and bred,” said he saw council workers clear away two lorry loads of trash. However, more junk keeps piling up.

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He added: “It must be costing a fortune. I would like them [the council] to put up cameras there or try and get someone down to catch people.”

Responding to a Daily Echo post on social media, one woman said: “I parked in the Woodmill car park on Tuesday to take my dog for a walk. The rubbish there was disgusting. What is the matter with people? Either take your rubbish home or don’t take it there.”

Residents are calling for CCTV to be installed at the Woodmill Lane car park

Labour councillor, John Savage described walking through Riverside Park on February 28 until he “wandered into” the car park and saw heaps of rubbish.

Posting online he said: “We need to issue serious fines to the scum that think our car parks can be used to dump things.”

Councillor John Savage

The Portswood councillor said the council is re-evaluating the way the car park is operated and is in talks with charities that keep bins in it.

He added: “We are measuring the problem and making strategic changes to eliminate the level of tipping.”

A council spokesperson said: “Nationally, fly-tipping incidents are on the increase, and the trend in Southampton is in line with other comparable Local Authorities. In recognition of the situation, Southampton City Council employed two Environmental Protection Officers in October 2020 to provide a dedicated resource to investigate fly-tipping incidents, with a view to securing convictions. This involves targeting hotspots and working with partner organisations and other Local Authorities to bring offenders to justice. Since starting in their roles five months ago the Officers have investigated numerous incidents and are now in the process of seeking prosecutions. One of the main challenges all Local Authorities face is gaining testimonies in court from members of the public who are witnesses or hold information.

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"We’re also undertaking a comprehensive communications campaign to ensure that residents are aware of their duty of care when employing a waste carrier, with every household in the city receiving a leaflet in April this year as part of the city-wide Council Tax mailing. We’re determined to secure convictions against the small number of individuals that repeatedly and systematically fly-tip. This small minority cause frustration and anger with the vast majority of residents that dispose of their rubbish and unwanted items in a socially responsible and environmentally friendly way. There is also a cost attached to clearing up fly-tips; which is paid for by everyone in the city, not just the council. Fly-tipping has a negative effect on any area where it occurs."