Concerns raised about 'ongoing' lay-by fly-tipping

The founder of a litter picking group has raised concerns about ongoing fly-tipping in a lay-by.

Gas canisters and fridges are among rubbish dumped in a lay-by off the B4100 near Elmsbrook, north of Bicester.

Jamie Jessett, founder of Bicester Litter Pickers, told the BBC there was a similar issue in 2023 and that the issue has "got so much worse".

A spokesperson for Cherwell District Council said: "The team are aware of the ongoing issues on this site and will continue to clear this where they can."

The spokesperson said the council has logged it as a fly-tipping case, meaning it is reported to its environmental enforcement team as well as its street cleansing team.

Jessett said: "It could be really bad for the environment, for the birds and even hedgehogs that might go in there.

"You've got to think about, obviously, pets as well.

"You've got cats, nearby cats could be going in that direction and if there's smashed glass or anything that they can get trapped in, you're not going to be able to rescue them if they get caught in the rubbish."

Jessett said the rubbish is visible from the road.

"When you go closer and really look in the bushes and look more to it, it's easier to see all the rubbish there," he said.

He said his litter picking group has cleaned the area in the past, however they now "won't touch this area again" due to potential hazards.

He believes more needs to be done to tackle fly-tipping.

"We need to try and make a solution to make it more accessible and easy for people to get rid of items," he said.