Fury at illegal dumping at Gortin Glen beauty spot

LOCAL residents have described a recent spate of of fly-tipping at the Gortin Glen as ‘disgraceful’ and ‘shameful’ after hundreds of black bin bags containing potentially harmful waste were discovered in an embankment in the forest this week.

A spokesperson for local campaign group ‘Friends of the Glen’ said that this is the second year that the area had been subject to fly-tipping and highlighted that the particular location was very difficult to access, rendering it hard to clean up.

“Last year, there was about 30 tyres dumped,” the said.

“This year, there are more, and as well as tyres, there are hundreds of black bin bags containing the likes of old, rusted dog food cans which could be potentially poisonous to the local wildlife, with deer and squirrels in the area.

“There is also an old mattress and parts of an old television set and generally a lot non-biodegradable rubbish.”

They said that one of the main concerns is that the rubbish could attract rats.

The spokesperson added, “We go walking around it often and on a recent walk, those who were with us couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It simply needs to stop and it will be a big undertaking to get it all removed.”

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council chair Barry McElduff said he had been in touch with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and local council directors regarding the issue.

Cllr McElduff described the issue as a ‘disgrace’ and said it was ‘shocking’ to see the scale of it.

Meanwhile, a Fermanagh and Omagh District Council spokesperson said the local authority was investigating the issue but was unable to provide any further comment.

The council would remind everyone that fly-tipping is an offence and can result in a fine of up to £400,” the spokesperson added.