Asbestos water tank and nappies among rubbish dumped at Dunstable's Blow's Downs Nature Reserve

A double mattress, clothing, nappies and bags of domestic waste were found dumped near Blow’s Downs Nature Reserve in Dunstable.

Multiple fly-tips were spotted on an access road into the 33.1-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest earlier this month. Images show rubbish strewn across the road and covering bushes in plastic and carpeting.

Blow’s Downs is looked after by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. The area is home to a rare plant, Bunium bulbocastanum, and migrating birds stop off at the reserve to feed before restarting their journeys.

Aidan Matthews, Wildlife Trust in Beds senior reserves manager said: "Fly-tipping always presents an environmental hazard, and is depressing to see; where it has happened on Trust reserves in the past, valuable staff time and resources are needlessly taken up in arranging safe onwards disposal.

“This particular batch contained commercial waste, nappies, cannabis growing media and an asbestos water tank. The access road is the responsibility of Central Bedfordshire Council who will have arranged collection and safe disposal. A new vehicle barrier was installed on Friday by Luton Borough Council, so hopefully should limit this happening in the future.”

A spokesperson for Central Bedfordshire Council said: “This is another example of how thoughtless and destructive fly-tipping can be, and why it’s a criminal act. The access road into Blow’s Downs Nature Reserve is regularly patrolled by our Safer Neighbourhood Officers who will take appropriate action if and when they come across any fly-tipping. We also search fly-tipping and, if sufficient evidence is found to indicate where the waste originated from, we’ll act.”

They added: “To help us prevent fly-tipping, we urge residents to always dispose of their waste responsibly, either through their regular bin collections or at their nearest Tidy Tip. If your waste is taken away by others, do always check that they have a valid waste carriers’ license, and that they issue you with the correct documentation.

“Anyone who witnesses fly-tipping or wants to report a fly-tip on council land, can visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/reportit, call 0300 300 8302 or email [email protected].”