Hundreds of tyres have been illegally fly-tipped into a picturesque north river.
The tyres appeared in the Black Burn near Pluscarden Abbey, six miles south-west of Elgin in Moray last week.
Landowner Robert Laughton, said: “Government environmental agency SEPA said it had inspected the site, but it is now up to the landowner to remove the tyres from the water and have them properly disposed of.
“There are so many tyres they must have been dumped from a lorry. So we are appealing to anyone who might have seen a lorry in the area to get in touch with police with any information.”
A spokeswoman for SEPA said: “Local officers investigated this incident on October 4, and were of the opinion that the tyres had been fly-tipped some time ago.
“At this stage, it has not been possible to identify the source of the tyres. Discussions are ongoing with local stakeholders to facilitate the removal of the tyres from the watercourse and safe disposal at a suitably licensed facility.
“We would encourage anyone who might have further information relating to this incident to contact our local SEPA office 01343 547 663.”
Councillor Amy Taylor said: “Fly tipping is an abhorrent and illegal activity.
“It costs organisations like the council and private landowners a significant amount of money to sort out.”
