Asbestos, abandoned television sets, sofas and even a discarded pair of wellington boots are just some of the items that have been left at fly-tipping hotspots in the north-east.
New figures obtained by the Press and Journal have revealed the 10 streets in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire most often used by illegal dumpers.
Council chiefs have condemned those responsible and urged residents to “work together” to help them tackle the pressing issue.
More than 4,100 fly tipping cases but only six convictions or fines
Between August 2018 and August 2019, council staff were instructed to collect items on Great Northern Road 89 times – the equivalent of about two call-outs a week.
Nearby North Anderson Drive reported 49 incidents, followed by Sandilands Drive with 43.
Meanwhile, in Aberdeenshire the majority of fly-tipping incidents have been reported in Fraserburgh – particularly North Braeheads Road.
Council staff were called to the short street 13 times during the year to collect abandoned goods such as a red sofa, televisions and a pair of wellington boots.
Outside Dales Industrial Estate in Peterhead, there were 12 incidents of dumping, including bags of “grey powder” weighing a tonne each, a pram and 20 full bags of hedge cuttings.
Fly-tipping hits record levels blighting communities across north-east
And on the C99C road north of Drumstone, there were three worrying incidents involving asbestos – with enough dumped to warrant a council van being called in to remove it safely.
Councillor Peter Argyle, chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services committee, said: “We are by no means the only area to be affected by fly-tipping, but it is still a problem for us all.
“We have to acknowledge that as a community and deal with it.”
He added: “Anyone who thinks fly-tipping is acceptable in their, or anyone else’s community, needs to have a bit of a look at themselves and ask why they don’t use proper means to deal with their waste.
“Most right minded people wouldn’t even think about tipping a washing machine or random household rubbish at a quiet rural location or on the streets of our towns and villages, but clearly many people do, and we need to work together to stop it.”
James Adams, chairman of Fraserburgh Community Council, said it was “disappointing” fly-tippers were blighting the town.
He said: “Incidents like this are detrimental to the environment, community and local wildlife.
“Asbestos could endanger people walking their pets and the cost to remove it is also a factor.
“Flytipping puts a huge strain on council resources and we need to encourage more people to avoid doing it.
“We’re keen to get more tourists visiting Fraserburgh and the north-east in general, and this is not the kind of impression we want to be making.
“It is extremely disappointing.
“As a community council we pass on information to Aberdeenshire Council whenever we get reports of fly-tipping.”
An Aberdeen City Council spokesman added: “In Aberdeen we actively encourage members of the public to report fly-tipping and have successfully introduced an online tool to make that easier and quicker, part of the council’s wider commitment to using digital platforms to improve the customer experience.
“As a local authority we are responsible for the uplift of items from public areas, not private land, and have a duty to tackle fly-tipping to ensure related health and safety as well as environmental issues are addressed.”
