Chorley Council has launched an investigation after fly-tippers blocked a road with a huge pile of waste

In recent months, locals have been angered by increased litter and inconsiderate parking as families flocked to nearby Hoghton in their hundreds.

One resident - who asked not to be named, said that the parking at weekends is still 'causing chaos' and said that they have seen a major increase in littering in both Hoghton and Brindle, with the dumping of rubbish becoming 'almost a daily occurrence'.

The image, which angered locals on social media, shows a pile of litter dumped in the middle of Marsh Lane, causing Chorley council to take action and investigate the matter.

The incident took place some time in the early hours of Wednesday September 2 on Marsh Lane, Chorley, off the B5256 between Brindle and Hoghton.

Councillor Alistair Morwood, Executive Member for Public Protection at Chorley Council said: “We receive several reports every week from our residents, alerting us to instances of fly-tipping which need clearing up.

“Fly-tipping has absolutely no place in society - it is illegal and costly to deal with. Our officers are being diverted from their normal duties, where they are already busy sprucing up towns, village and public areas – to go and deal with someone else’s deliberately dumped mess.

"It’s not acceptable and can lead to fines if caught and prosecuted. We will take enforcement action in all instances where a culprit can be identified and indeed recently there have been several cases where we have successfully identified the culprits and we will be taking the appropriate action against them.

“I am really disappointed when I hear that fly-tipping continues to blight the Chorley landscape, our rural lanes, or even wooded areas where wildlife could be adversely affected. Disposing of your waste is quick and easy, and we would always point residents in the direction of their nearest Lancashire County Council Household Waste Recycling Centre."

“Furthermore, if you are using some form of waste disposal services, or a private firm, please always make sure they possess a waste carrier licence. Otherwise, you do not know what these individuals might be doing with your waste after you hand it over.”

In June, the Post reported on an increase of dumped litter at Hoghton, with poorly parked cars that also left some residents trapped on their driveways.

Lancashire Police were performing patrols in the area throughout June to monitor the increased litter and crowds who failed to maintain social distancing.

The photo of recent fly tipping on Marsh Lane was shared by Walton Le Dale resident Matt Gostelow, 49, whose colleague encountered the roadblock on his morning commute.

He said: "I work at a drainage firm locally and we keep our vehicles at a local farm down Marsh Lane. One of my colleagues had gone to collect a vehicle and didn't know how else to get there. Because I know the area, I had to guide him another way round for him to get to work.

"There have been incidents in this spot before with people fly tipping in lay-bys and the local quarry of Holt Lane have faced issues in their open car park. I think it's rubbish coming in and out of Preston that gets dumped there because it's quick and easy with it being so close to the motorway junction.

"It is a quiet country road with very little traffic, so they think they can dump their rubbish and get away with it and that no-one will notice. This morning, I have never seen anything like it, it blocked the entire road.

"It isn't just an environmental issue either, it causes a lot of disruption just because people are too lazy to take their belongings to the tip. They have no regard to where it is going or the trouble it causes."

Another resident, who has lived in the Brindle area for 68 years, said: "It is getting worse not only here in Brindle but other rural villages in the area, with local beauty spots like Hoghton Bottoms being trashed and almost overwhelmed. It is not just commercial or household waste being dumped but litter from visitors – you only have to look in the lay-bys and hedgerows along local lanes.

"Sadly the Police are not around anymore having a tough enough job just reacting to things at the moment. It is seemingly out of control and I don’t know what can be done. Is it too much for people to simply take their litter home or take things to the tip?”

The dumping of rubbish has plagued the scenic area throughout the Covid-19 lockdown and back in June, residents had to take matters into their own hands by litter picking.

Anyone with information regarding fly tipping can contact Chorley council on 01257 515151 or visit chorley.gov.uk.