The dumping of tyres, needles and household rubbish in fields in Birstall is costing Kirklees Council thousands of pounds and endangering children playing there.

The fields, in Dark Lane, off Lowood Lane, have been used as a dumping site for many years and now have to be cleared as often as once a fortnight.

Jill Sykes, of Kirklees Environmental Waste department, said she believed the site was targeted because it was remote.

"We don't go to other dumping sites nearly as often as this one. It is a danger to children as there are used needles, and fridge-freezers they could get trapped in," she said.

"Usually the place is an absolute eyesore. People are driving up there, using needles, discarding them and driving off."

She added that No Tipping signs had been put up on the site but were usually ripped down.

"We can't block it off because it is a public right of way, so what else can we do?

"We rarely come across anything we wouldn't remove from people's homes for nothing - washers, household rubbish and waste can all be removed with one phone call," she said.

One idea for the site was to install a surveillance camera system similar to those used at a popular dumping site in Batley. Since they went up in Batley last November they have proved very effective.

"The only trouble is, the cameras would be difficult to monitor," said Ms Sykes. "Things like this usually occur in the middle of the night, but that's not to say they wouldn't work."

She said they often sifted through the dumped bags for proof of who they belonged to.

"If anyone has details of people going up there - such as vehicle registration numbers - we will check them out," she said. Her number is (01484) 223145.

Terry Jepson, who works at Huddersfield's CCTV headquarters, said he would not rule out the idea of putting cameras on the site, but he had not been approached about a scheme.

"This may pose problems such as where we would put the cameras, who would record the incidents and whether there would be power and light."