Write a commentSDLP Councillor Geraldine Donnelly has said the sight and smell of a large amount of household waste abandoned at a lay-by in a Flagstaff beauty spot left her feeling queasy.
The Slieve Gullion representative was called to the site on the Windy Road, Flagstaff on Friday by residents who found it strewn with rubbish.
The stinking waste included rotten food, dirty nappies, plastic bags, newspapers, beer cans and food packaging. There was also evidence that those responsible had attempted to set fire to the rubbish, while the wind had also blown much of it into nearby hedges and bushes.
Councillor Donnelly said: “This isn’t the first time Flagstaff has been used by some to dump household waste and the community is becoming more and more exasperated at the situation.
"The residents who contacted me are absolutely infuriated and frustrated that someone could treat an area of natural beauty and the people who live there and visit there with so much disrespect.
“The Council has invested a lot of money in providing excellent waste management facilities in Newry and Mourne, so it couldn't be any easier for everyone to safely and responsibly dispose of their household waste.
“Despite this, someone has gone to the trouble of loading up their car and driving out into the countryside. They have then navigated this narrow, twisty, road which is actually totally unsuited for cars and dumped their rubbish. It just doesn't make any sense. Why couldn’t they simply drive to a refuse site like the rest of us?
“What ever the reason, this kind of anti-social behaviour needs to stop. I have reported this instance of fly-tipping to the council and have requested that they remove this waste as soon as possible.
“I hope it will be possible to identify the perpetrator from the contents of this rubbish so that the dumpers, once found, can be prosecuted, punished and made to pay the full cost of removal and disposal.
“I am appealing to rural communities to keep a watchful eye out for fly-tippers. There have been enough campaigns warning people against fly-tipping. It seems the only way some people will get the message is from prosecution and stiff financial penalties.”
