Mounds of garden and vehicle waste including trees, tyres and hedge cuttings have been dumped by the roadside in Fordham.

Ely Standard: Theses images, posted on social media, show the fly tipping abandoned on Cock Pen Road yesterday. Picture: East Cambs PoliceTheses images, posted on social media, show the fly tipping abandoned on Cock Pen Road yesterday. Picture: East Cambs Police (Image: Archant)

Theses images, posted on social media, show the fly tipping abandoned on Cock Pen Road yesterday.

Police are now appealing for residents to be careful when employing firms to remove waste.

They say it causes “problems for the highway, is an eyesore for anyone in the local area, and an expense to the tax payer who will pay for removal.”

PCSO Annie Austin has made efforts to identify where the waste has come from without success.

Ely Standard: Theses images, posted on social media, show the fly tipping abandoned on Cock Pen Road yesterday. Picture: East Cambs PoliceTheses images, posted on social media, show the fly tipping abandoned on Cock Pen Road yesterday. Picture: East Cambs Police (Image: Archant)

East Cambridgeshire Police stated in the post on social media: “We are appealing to anyone who might consider employing any firms to remove waste from their garden or home to please check credentials very carefully.

“A reputable operator will be known in the local area, will have a track record of previous customers, and won’t be asking for business on a door to door basis.”

Sergeant Phil Priestley said that fly tippers have “very little care for the immediate area.”

He explained: “It’s a common operating method for fly-tippers to go door to door and suggest they are ‘working in the local area’. They will probably have a van with marked logos that look professional - but care very little for the immediate area.

“These operators may often also offer gardening services, building services, or take a particular interest in removing scrap metal.

“A professional waste disposal company doesn’t tend to offer ‘jack of all trade’ gardening/building/roofing services.”

Residents are advised to contact the District Council for advice and guidance if they are considering having significant landscaping, tree or hedge removal undertaken.

The post added: “Any reputable landscape gardener will be able to tell you where and how they will dipose of your garden waste, and you should be able to check the site the waste is being removed to.

“If the tradesperson you are seeking to employ can’t give you a straight answer on exactly where they will dispose of your waste, there is a good chance they don’t care a great deal about the quality of service they are providing to you or your home.”