DUMPED equipment that can be used to grow cannabis is still lying in a ditch on the side of a major road - a month after it was reported to the authorities by the Daily Echo.

As reported on March 12, bags of compost, heat lamps and plastic tubs used for storing chemicals were discovered in a ditch on the A338 Spur Road southbound close to Ashley Heath.

The find sparked anger from Bournemouth councillor David Smith, who said the stretch of road linking Blackwater to Ashley Heath - which falls under the responsibility of Dorset County Council - is often strewn with rubbish.

And a Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) spokesperson, of behalf of the county council, vowed to work with police to remove the litter.

He said: "We investigate all fly-tipping reported on the public highway within our area.

"If we find items that may have been used for illegal activity, such as producing drugs, we work with the police over their appropriate removal."

He added that litter-picking of the A338 and other major routes is carried out on a regular basis and the Spur Road was cleared "within the last few months".

Another clean is due to take place before the start of the summer tourist season.

However, almost a month after the discovery was first made, investigations revealed that the equipment in its entirety remains in the ditch.

Yesterday, the same spokesperson said: "We will clear items beside the A338 early next week.

"There did not seem to be any evidence that could help police with their enquiries."

The equipment is just a small amount of the litter found by the Echo dumped along the side of the road.

Bags of rubbish, old tyres, paper, food wrappers, cans and more can be seen by motorists travelling along the route.

The find comes two years after a similar haul was discovered in a stream next to a lay-by on the northbound side of the road.

In March 2013, heat lamps, hundreds of plant pots, fertiliser and chemical containers were discovered on the side of the road.

The dumped items included electrical cables and a ventilation system that would have been used to spread heat around several rooms in a house being used for marijuana cultivation.

Bags of soil and chemical containers marked with warning signs were also discovered.