COUNCILLORS have hit out at 'brazen' vandals who have fly-tipped right next to signs warning people not to dump rubbish.

The latest incident took place on Elton Road and Belthorn Road in Belthorn at the weekend.

The area has been a magnet for fly-tippers for years but now people are calling for permanent action.

Cllr Glen Harrison, who represents the St Oswalds ward, said: "There is a constant stream of fly tipping meaning we need to find a long term solution.

"Fly tippers could not care less about the environment and the threat of fines.

"To tip rubbish blatantly right in front of a sign telling them about prosecutions shows how brazen these people are.

"I sincerely hope that they are caught and dealt with in the harshest possible way.

"I and many others are sick and tired of the blatant disrespect to the environment and the residents who have to live with this."

It comes a year and a half since the Lancashire Telegraph reported about issues on the same road in April 2019.

Cllr Harrison had been inundated with complaints about the state of road and how lay-bys had long been targeted by people dumping waste illegally but now there was evidence it was being used as a hangout for people having sex.

Leader of Hyndburn Council Miles Parkinson OBE, said: "Unfortunately this is part of society now, where this is a group of individuals who are setting up business to get paid to remove waste.

"They are benefitting on the black economy of disposing of the waste and pocketing the money.

"They are just leaving it on areas of land and the council are having to pick up the bill to clear it.

"We are urging people who may have seen it being dumped there to get in touch so we can try to catch them.

"This is just a few individuals and the vast majority pay their way with taxes but we want to see a stop to this criminal act."