UPTON residents are to lose their mini-recycling centre as a result of persistent fly tipping.

The Dorset Waste Partnership will be removing the recycling banks from the Upton Oil site on Blandford Road North.

Its closure follows calls from local residents and councillors to deal with the ongoing problem.

The site has been targeted by people illegally dumping large amounts of rubbish next to the recycling banks, including sofas, mattresses and general household waste.

DWP has had to clear the site on a regular basis at taxpayers’ expense.

Cllr Paul Johns of Purbeck District Council and a member of the DWP Joint Committee said: “The closure of the Upton site will help to stop the unlawful dumping of household waste at this location, which will also help to reduce costs.

“However, if illegal fly tipping continues, further steps will be taken to prosecute the offenders.

“We ask residents to help us by reporting fly tipping at dorsetforyou.com/fly-tipping or by calling 01305 221040.”

Fly tipping is a crime that carries a fine of up to £50,000 or a 12-month prison sentence.

The DWP has been reducing its small recycling centres across Dorset due to lower use since the introduction of its improved recycling collection service.

Some key sites are being kept, including four in Purbeck at Beret Regis car park, North Beach car park Swanage, and two in Wareham at Streche Road and Westport House.

The partnership is made of all seven Dorset councils – excluding the Poole and Bournemouth unitaries – and its ‘recycle for Dorset’ collection replaced 12 different schemes across the county.

By working together the councils aim to cut costs by £2million a year, reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and increase Dorset’s recycling rate from 50 per cent to more than 68 per cent by 2019.