Fly-tipping investigated at Milton Keynes nature reserve

The waste was dumped in the car park at the nature reserve in the Buckinghamshire town

A public car park at a nature reserve has had to be closed off after a large quantity of waste was fly-tipped there.

Carpets, doors, windows and other rubble was left blocking the access to Stony Stratford Nature Reserve in Milton Keynes on Sunday.

Volunteers at The Parks Trust, the charity which runs the reserve, described it as "a substantial fly-tipping incident".

A spokeswoman said it had been reported to police.

The rubbish has been left in-situ so that police can sift through and look for information that might lead them to where it originated.

The spokeswoman said as the waste was fly-tipped on private land, the charity would be responsible for its removal, which is likely to cost about £1,000.

The Parks Trust believes the rubbish may be the result of a house renovation

Stony Stratford Nature Reserve consists of artificially created wetland habitats for waterfowl and waders, including a lake that is home to a variety of dragonflies and damselflies.

The Parks Trust looks after more than 6,000 acres (2,400 hectares) of parkland and green space in Milton Keynes.

Police will need to examine the site before the rubbish can be removed by a specialist contractor

There were 1.13 million fly-tipping incidents in England in 2020-21, a rise of 16% on the previous 12 months,

The cost, which includes clear-up and lost taxes, has been estimated to be £1bn a year.

On public land it is the responsibility of the local council to clear it up and prosecute. Last year, nearly half a million investigations and prosecutions were carried out.