The issue of fly-tipping continues to be a major blight on the lives of too many of our streets and districts.

Last week we highlighted the issue of a pensioner who had seen the next door garden turned into an unofficial disposal site for all sorts of waste; today we report on rubbish being dumped and simply left for months in West Bowling.

It is simply unacceptable that this sort of behaviour is able to have such a detrimental effect on the lives of those nearby.

There is absolutely no excuse for fly-tipping, and the offenders in both these cases need to be sent a clear message from the council that they will be doing everything they can to trace them and prosecute them.

Aside from the impact visually, fly-tipping can cause increased health risks, attracting vermin and disease, and offering all sorts of hazards for children who know no better than to play on or near it.

It is difficult to understand those who persist in this disgusting act, but persist they do, so it is important everything possible is done to eradicate it, which means we all must take responsibility for reporting it, particularly where we witness those responsible.

For the vast majority of us, these acts are completely incomprehensible; civilised people manage to put their rubbish in the right place, so why should they have to live with the ugly site of mounds of waste marring their neighbourhood.

Anyone caught must be dealt with in the strongest possible manner as we look to eradicate this disgraceful blight on our communities.