SUPPORTERS of a protected Bournemouth common have reacted angrily after fly-tippers dumped a three-piece suite.

The beige and red-striped sofa and two chairs was discovered on Kinson Common on Monday afternoon a short distance from an alleyway off South Kinson Drive.

The common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and local nature reserve and is managed by Bournemouth Borough Council’s countryside officers assisted by the Friends of Kinson Common.

Geoff Budden, chairman of the Friends, said: “I am really fuming about this. We had another incident on the other side where garden waste was dumped.

“It makes me so angry because it’s as SSSI and Millhams Tip is just down the road. I have got steam coming out of my ears – people just don’t appreciate what we have got.”

Mr Budden said fly-tippers often target the common and the council had to remove some doors and other waste which had been dumped on the common around three weeks ago.

And dog fouling remains a problem on the common.

Mr Budden said: “There are some people who pick it up put it in bags and then throw them into bushes. I know they have similar problems on Turbary Common and elsewhere and I really don’t know what the answer is.”

Larry Austin, strategic operations manager at Bournemouth Borough Council, said: “It is an offence to fly-tip or dump rubbish in and around the borough and we treat the problem very seriously, investigating any reports and prosecuting anyone who is caught fly-tipping their waste.

“In an effort to reduce the number of fly-tipping incidences, the council provides a bulky household goods collection service for large items such as sofas.

Bournemouth Council yesterday said the sofa had been removed from the common.

Mr Austin urged residents to report fly-tipped waste to their customer services team on 01202 451199.