Caerphilly beauty spot Ochwryth Common covered in rubbish

Cyclists who frequently use the trail along Ochrwyth Common and up to Mynydd Machen are disgusted by the rubbish there.

One cyclist, who wished not to be named for fear of possible repercussions, said equipment fro ma dumped cannabis factory has been there for more than 10 days.

(An image of some of the fly-tipping blighting the landscape on Ochwryth Common. Picture: 'Jimmy Krankie')

“There is a strong smell of cannabis and dozens of black bags are seen across various lanes and the common itself.”

He added that each time they ride there, more seems to have been added to the pile.

There are red bags in a pile, commonly associated with litter picks, that suggest some community members have tried to clean up but could have also been part of the rubbish that was fly-tipped.

(The red bags, usually associated with litter picks, in a neat pile in comparison to the rest of the rubbish strewn across the common. Picture: 'Jimmy Krankie')

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Residents and visitors to the site have complained on numerous occasions to the council via social media and their online channels.

Gwent Police’s Rural Crime Team did visit the area on Monday, June 17 and Caerphilly Council had said on social media that they will be sending a team to clean it up, however, at the time of writing, the rubbish is still there.

(Some more fly-tipped rubbish on the common's lanes. Picture: 'Jimmy Krankie')

PC Dan Counsell said: “Gwent Police Rural Crime Team are aware of on-going issues with fly-tipping in the Caerphilly Local authority area and have been working closely with that local authority and partner agencies to tackle the problem.

“We have recently carried out a joint enforcement patrol with Caerphilly Council targeting vehicles illegally carrying waste and regularly share information on fly-tipping incidents.

“On Monday June 17, 2019 acting on information from the public, the Rural Crime Team attended at the location of a particularly large fly-tipping incident on Ochrwyth Common, Caerphilly.

“Both the site and the dumped waste were inspected, and the findings have been shared between Caerphilly Council and Fly Tip Action Wales (Natural Resources Wales).”

PC Counsell added that there will be a multi-agency meeting scheduled to discuss the actions that can be taken to prevent this in the future.

“The Rural Crime Team will continue to work closely with relevant partner agencies and local authorities to support them in tackling the problem of Fly-tipping waste across all areas of Gwent," he said.

“We would encourage the public to please report any incidents or information relating to Fly-tipping to the relevant local authority,” he added.

A spokeswoman for Caerphilly Council said: “We take a tough stance in the war against fly tipping and we always press for a prosecution whenever evidence is found.

“Our enforcement team work hard, but there are obviously large areas of common land and open countryside in this area, which is unfortunately targeted by an inconsiderate minority.

“The key message is for people to be considerate and respect our beautiful countryside. We also ask that the public remain vigilant and report any sightings to the council so that we can take appropriate action.”