A COUNCILLOR says he is fed up of clearing underwear, condoms and rubbish from a rural lay-by used as a fly-tipping and sex hotspot.

Cllr Glen Harrison, who represents the St Oswalds ward on Hyndburn Council, says he had been inundated with complaints about the state of Belthorn Road in Belthorn.

He insists the lay-by has long been targeted by people dumping waste illegally but now there was evidence it was being used as a hangout for people having sex.

He said: “(You could say) This is a bit of a dogging hotspot as there has to be sexual activity with the condoms and wrappers and underwear we have had to clear.

“There have been empty bottles of vodka. People must be driving up here and drinking.

“If the police come up here they should be able to find people who must be under the influence.

“Residents have been contacting me and we have been coming up here with bags to pick it all up and the council came last week.

“But you look now and it is littered with takeaway food boxes. It is something people don’t want near them.

“There is also a lot of fly-tipping as old tyres and bags of rubbish are just recklessly and repeatedly strewn in the gutter and hedges."

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Cllr Miles Parkinson, leader of Hyndburn Council, is calling on people to report incidents to police to stop the problem.

He said: “The concern is that if there is anti-social behaviour then we need people to report it and we can put up covert cameras to catch them.

“This is about working in partnership with council and the local community contacting the police to tell them what is going on.

“If you spot a vehicle going down a quiet road or layby then they should make a note of it and tell the police about it so action can be taken.

“If there are juveniles doing this then it is a problem and we don’t want it and there is an anti-social behaviour issue.”

Cllr Parkinson added: “We see fly-tipping all the time on television, footage of flatbed trucks going to an empty location and just opening up the back and driving off leaving all the rubble from jobs they are working on.

“We are wanting people to check that their removal services are registered and that they are going to take it to a tip as they have paid their landfill charges. There is a fundamental problem with waste disposal and the council are having to clear it up.”