An investigation has been launched after brazen fly-tippers dumped a huge pile of rubbish in the heart of a Fife town.
Beds, mattresses, a fridge and an oven were among the items left lying by the side of the road in Glenrothes town centre, prompting a probe by Fife Council’s environmental services to try and track down the culprits.
Changes to recycling centre access in Fife have sparked fears fly-tipping and illegal dumping could be on the rise and the latest incident – which is believed to have taken place overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday – will only heighten those concerns.
The unsightly mess was strewn on a patch of grass beside the busy Queensway roundabout in the town centre and just yards away from the Kingdom Shopping Centre.
It is only around two miles away from Glenrothes’ main recycling centre in Cable Road, although that is now closed on a Wednesday as part of the recent overhaul of opening hours.
One passer-by, who did not want to be named, summed up the feelings of most in the area.
“The hard neck of folk,” he told The Courier.
“The roads have been very busy around this part of town because of roadworks closing the other access, so this must have been seen.
“Hopefully someone, somewhere has seen what’s gone on and shops them to the council.”
Alexander Stewart, Conservative MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, believes fly-tipping and littering is increasingly a problem in the region and said higher spot penalty fines should be considered for such offences.
“The current fine in Scotland is £80 and was last changed in 2013,” he said.
“In England, the default fine is £100 with a range of £50 to £150 although the minimum is increasing to £65 from April 2019.
“In Wales, the range is the same as England but the default is £75. In Northern Ireland, the penalty is £80.
“The abhorrent practice of fly-tipping and careless littering is a growing problem here in Fife and I, for one, will do all I can to help stamp this out and improve the environment in our region.”
There are no plans to raise the on-the-spot fines in Fife, but Dawn Jamieson, safer communities team manager at Fife Council, confirmed officials are investigating and have taken action to get the rubbish removed.
