A FORMER Great Harwood councillor has called upon the borough council to save a local beauty spot in the town from being turned into a rubbish dump by fly-tippers.

Lynn Williams, who was one of the town's councillors before last year's election, said the track at the top of Edge End Road has been ruined by scores of tyres, piles of rusting metal, a car bonnet and even an industrial boiler.

"It's an absolute disgrace. Some of the stuff has been there since summer last year," she said.

Mrs Williams, 56, of Edge End Cottages, said she regularly walks her two border collie dogs up there along with other dog owners because of its peaceful beauty.

She said it is being gradually ruined by fly-tippers being forced away from tips because of their strict ban on vans and commercial dumpers -- in January this year fly-tipping was reported to have increased by 300 per cent.

Mrs Williams said she has made repeated calls to Hyndburn Borough Council about the state of the single track road at the top of Edge End Road.

"She said she has been passed from one department to another and is at the end of her tether.

"Some of that rubbish has been up there since last summer, that's nearly a year and still nothing has been done. I've made numerous calls but all that happens is that I get fobbed off and sent to other departments.

"The rubbish needs to be cleared, it's being turned into a rubbish tip."

"I feel I have failed. I brought it up constantly when I was a councillor, but I got nowhere. I felt no-one would listen and they just carried on with what they were going to do."

She said she believed the problem lay with the stringent policies at Heys and Whinney Hill tips, whereby workmen are not allowed to leave refuse and estates cars are charged.

"It is putting a lot of people off using these and encouraging fly-tipping in areas like at the top of Edge End. We took a hired van last year to a tip and we had to give the man a £5 tip to let us leave our sofa. Many people hire these vans. It's clear that they are not builders, so why do they charge?"

Great Harwood Councillor Win Frankland, said: "A lot of this has been going on for quite a while. As far as I know it is to do with the charges placed on vans.

"Instead of paying these fines, these people dump their rubbish.

"It's not right, but surely the tips can see that these small vans are not from businesses. they are from householders and Why should they be charged? All the charges are doing is creating more tipping of this nature."

Deputy Leader Coun Jean Battle, said: "I don't know the mentality of people and how they think it is right to dump their rubbish anywhere they see fit.

"All they are doing is making their own backyard look a right state and ruining it for everyone else."