A LOCAL authority is on the hunt for fly-tippers after two "disgusting" piles of rubbish were found dumped in Test Valley at the weekend.

Rubbish and rubble were discovered in one pile in Pound Lane, Sherfield English, around 6.30pm on Saturday, deputy leader for Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC), Nick Adams-King confirmed.

He claimed witnesses saw a "flatbed truck with only one rear light" speeding off around the time of the crime.

Household items, including children's toys, were discovered at the second pile around 7.30am on the same day.

It was found in the layby on the A27 in Shootash - near the old restaurant The Blue Hayes.

It is believed the two incidents are not linked.

Mr Adams-King is urging residents to help with TVBC's investigation in a bid to bring the culprits to justice.

In a Facebook post, Cllr Adams-King wrote about the first fly-tip: "Whichever anti-social idiot did this, they thought that just dumping a pile of rubble in the middle of a lane was somehow acceptable.

"In no way is that so, it's dangerous, thoughtless and disgusting.

"TVBC's environmental enforcement team are already investigating to find out who they are."

He stressed: "There are witnesses who saw a flatbed truck with only one rear light leaving the lane at speed.

"If you have any information about that, or indeed are local and have any CCTV footage that might help then please either drop me a direct message or call 01264 368000, both in strictest confidence."

Referencing the second pile of illegally dumped rubbish, he added: "This time there would appear to be dashcam evidence of the perpetrator from a witness. Again, if you can add to this information do let me, or TVBC, know in strictest confidence."

The councillor confirmed the fly-tip in Shootash was cleared yesterday (February 8), but could not confirm if the waste in Sherfield English had yet been removed. 

This comes after a fly-tipper who dumped tonnes of rubbish, including a haul of old tyres at a country estate, has been forced to pay more than £23,000 in costs and fines.

Mitchell Cooper was found to have fly-tipped a load of 50 tyres, two TV sets and bags of waste at the Broadlands Estate in Romsey on April 20 last year.