Scottish beauty spot blighted by 'disgusting' fly-tipping with locals 'overwhelmed' by scale of waste

Philip Mungal, a West Calder resident, has been observing the site for about ten years and said it has steadily "gotten way worse".

"I have noticed it there through the last ten years or so and it was never this bad," Mungal told The Daily Record, who described feeling "overwhelmed" by the scale of the pollution.

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Mungal, who shared photos of the fly-tipping on social media, said nearly 100 concerned residents commented, describing the site as "ugly, dangerous, and a fire hazard."

Huge piles of rubbish are heaped five feet off the ground, littered with wood, loaded rubbish bags, and a shopping trolley.

An entire bathtub, refrigerator, PVC pipes, tyres, and what appear to be two full-size plastic children's play cars have buried beneath a pile of wood.

West Lothian Council confirmed the rubbish had been dumped illegally on private land, making it the landowner's responsibility to remove it.

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"A spokesperson said: "We have received reports of this incident and can confirm that the waste has been dumped illegally on private land."

The council has been in touch with the owner to provide advice regarding removal.

Dumping rubbish illegally in West Lothian can result in a £500 fine.

"Fly tipping is anti-social and has a negative effect on how people feel about the area they live, not to mention it's criminal, causes pollution and is extremely costly to clear for the council when it is dumped on public land," the council spokesperson added.

The council suspects the majority of fly-tipping in West Lothian is caused by commercial dumping.

It is believed the majority of fly tipping in West Lothian is caused by commercial dumping. Businesses are legally required to make their own arrangements to make sure any waste they produce is disposed of responsibly," explained the spokesperson.

Commercial fly-tipping includes not only large businesses but also individuals advertising on social media.

"Please remember, if you are allowing a business to remove items from your home, you are also responsible for ensuring that they have a Waste Carriers Licence," the council warned.

This licence allows businesses to access commercial recycling centres to dispose of waste properly.

The Council emphasised that once a transaction occurs between a household and a third party for disposal, it becomes a commercial matter.

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