Anger as beauty spots are blighted by fly-tippers

Sofas dumped on the shoreline at Southmoor in Havant

Picture: Wez Smith — Sofas dumped on the shoreline at Southmoor in Havant Picture: Wez Smith

A trail of rubbish was dumped on Portsdown Hill.

And a few miles away, two sofas were fly-tipped on the beach at Southmoor, Havant, on the shores of the internationally-protected Langstone Harbour.

Kyle Johnson took pictures of the fly-tipping at Portsdown Hill and it left him disgusted.

The 30-year-old, from Havant, runs his own waste removal firm Rubble and Junk Ltd and has a waste carriers’ licence.

He believes some traders who charge cheap prices to take away rubbish are the culprits for a lot of fly-tipping at Portsdown Hill and Purbrook Heath.

Mr Johnson is considering folding his company because people are not prepared to pay £200 or £300 for waste to be removed.

He said: ‘You speak to people in the trade and they will say the same.

‘It’s a cut-throat business.

‘My monthly outgoings are a whole lot more than a car that can take stuff away for £40.

‘What upsets me is that it’s a beautiful place. It’s beautiful to go on Portsdown Hill and look down.

‘What happens when someone who is not from the area sees that?

‘It’s also the cost and effect it has on the city council.’

Mr Johnson added: ‘It’s got to the stage of “what do you do?”

‘These people must be going up to Portsdown Hill quite late at night to fly-tip.

‘My friend who owns the burger bar can turn up in a morning and there will be rubble dumped there.’

Wez Smith, who looks after the RSPB reserves in Langstone Harbour, was shocked to find the armchairs on the beach.

He said: ‘We are blessed with having a wetland of international importance on our doorstep here and it’s a shame not everyone abides by the responsibilities that come with it.’

Recent figures show that taxpayers’ cash amounting to £380,099 was spent in clear-up and enforcement action in 2014/15 across Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport, Havant and East Hampshire.

There were 3,712 incidents, with Havant being the worst hotspot with 1,503 incidents.

Portsmouth City Council has launched the My Portsmouth mobile phone app to help speed up the reporting of fly-tipping.

Visit the Apple or Android store and search for ‘My Portsmouth’.

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