HIDDEN cameras will be used to help catch fly-tippers who are ruining a scenic spot near Laycock.

Keighley town councillor John Kirby, who represents the Laycock and Braithwaite ward, said offenders are repeatedly dumping huge quantities of waste in Back Lane.

The rubbish includes old boxes, bicycle wheels, shower units, bathroom tiles and carpets.

Cllr Kirby said: “It got to the point where three weeks ago some Laycock residents �– who are not young people �– went up to Back Lane with me to try and make a difference and clean it up.

“One resident had some friends staying with them, who also joined in, and they were shocked anyone would want to spoil such a beautiful area.

“We tidied it from top to bottom and transformed the lane – it looked great.

“Then, just a week or two later, someone came along and dumped their rubbish there yet again.”

Cllr Kirby said Bradford Council officers had been very supportive in coming up with a plan to tackle the fly-tipping scourge, and highlighted the efforts made by Mel Smith from parks and landscapes and Peter Cotton from cleansing.

He added that the district council is now intending to use covert cameras to catch out the culprits.

“People are using cars or vans to bring the waste here, so these cameras will be able to pick up registration numbers and, hopefully, also pictures of the people doing the fly-tipping,” he said.

“People who go walking in this area don’t want to have see someone else’s household rubbish piled up on the side of the road.

“We’ve got big tips at Sugden End and Hard Ings where people can take this stuff, but they persist in fly-tipping it instead.

“It has to stop, and these people must be caught and prosecuted.”

A Bradford Council spokesman said: “We would ask anyone who has witnessed fly-tipping, and can provide information about the date, time and vehicle used, to contact the environmental enforcement team on 01274 434366.”