Industrial 'litter louts' have dumped hundreds of old tyres at one of the region's most popular beauty spots.

Members of the public are being urged to help to track down those responsible for dumping 800 tyres at Otley Chevin.

Meanwhile the incidents - which saw 400 tyres left in the Lower Shawfield car park off East Chevin Road with another 400 dumped at a second nearby car park - are likely to cost Leeds Council taxpayers hundreds of pounds.

Councillor Phil Coyne (Lab, Otley and Wharfedale) said: "It's an outrageous disregard for the rest of the community. Those responsible are spoiling an important beauty spot for local people as well as visitors from further afield. Unfortunately, it's a remote site and we think it has been happening in the early morning so it's difficult to control.

"But the Council is taking what steps it can to safeguard the site and looking at the possibility of putting barriers across the car park entrances which would allow cars to get in but keep big trucks out."

He added: "We need to ask the public to assist us. If anyone sees a tyre wagon pulling on to the site it would be very helpful if they let the Council know and pass on a registration number and any name on the vehicle.''

A Leeds City Council spokesman said: "It is a criminal offence although it can be very difficult to prove who's done it. But if we do find out, they will be prosecuted. The tyres will be removed as soon as it can be organised - which will cost in the region of £1,500.''

An Environment Agency spokesman said anyone caught dumping tyres faced prosecution under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act and a maximum fine of £20,000 or six months in prison.

She added: "We ask garage owners, if they're approached by anyone offering to take away their old tyres cheaply, to carefully check the paperwork to ensure they're taking them somewhere licensed to take tyres because the likelihood is they're going to dump them.

"If that happens, the garage owner will also be committing an offence.''

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