Laundry Lane in Lower Nazeing shut after rubbish dumped

Laundry Lane has been closed overnight after flytippers dumped building material in the road

A road was closed after motorists reported more than seven tonnes of rubbish had been dumped in the middle of the highway.

Laundry Lane in Lower Nazeing, between Harlow and Hertford, was closed in both directions on Monday evening.

The road remained closed on Tuesday morning.

A spokeswoman for Epping Forest District Council said the authority was working with Essex County Council to clear the waste.

'Most outrageous'

It is understood the waste left in the road was building rubble.

The councils brought in a large crane to clear the waste but found it could not get in because of a power cable and a telephone.

A smaller crane was ordered instead.

Will Breare-Hall, Epping Council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "It's appalling that anyone could be so irresponsible as to illegally dump this quantity of rubble and block a public road.

"This is one of the most outrageous examples of flytipping we have ever come across so I encourage anyone with information that might help identify the culprit to contact the district council."