RUBBISH dumpers reached new lows when they tipped out a purple sofa on to a traffic island in the middle of a main road’s swirling traffic.
Residents were furious about the flagrant dumping at the busy A4 roundabout which takes traffic from Twyford’s Wargrave Road towards Reading, Maidenhead and Wargrave.
Last week, Cllr Stephen Conway, Liberal Democrat councillor for Twyford condemned the dumping as “shocking”, adding: “Unfortunately, we have seen a marked increase in fly-tipping lately.
“It might have something to do with more people being at home and therefore deciding to get rid of old items of furniture.
“It might also be connected with perceptions that accessing the public rubbish tips is more difficult at the moment.
“But neither of these possible explanations is an excuse for this kind of irresponsible and antisocial behaviour, which costs the community money as the council has to pay for it to be cleared.”
Cllr Parry Batth, Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for environment and leisure, said: “Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and the council will follow its standard enforcement procedure, taking appropriate action.
“With pre-existing financial challenges and budget pressures on services, we’re forced to spend over £150,000 a year on contracts to clear fly-tipping.
“We’d like to urge anyone with any intelligence or dash camera footage of this incident to come forward, by emailing: [email protected].”
Wokingham Borough Council recorded 1,298 fly-tips in 2019/20, an average of over 100 a month.
The total excludes much of the waste dumped on private land, which landowners have to clear.
In April the council approved a strategy aimed at tackling growing fly-tipping. At the time, Cllr Batth said: “We just should not have to tolerate this illegal behaviour and we are doing everything we can to try and stop it.
“We are watching and monitoring you.”
The sofa has now been removed by the council’s contractors.