CANNABIS, industrial materials, children's toys and mattresses have been illegally dumped in a spate of fly-tipping over the past few days.

In Hurn a large mass of the illegal drug was found dumped in Hurn Court Lane on Tuesday, alongside other waste, while in nearby Pig Shoot Lane what looked like a skipful of household items had been dumped by the river.

Cllr Margaret Phipps, ward councillor for Hurn and portfolio holder for 'managing our environment', said: "We seem to have had a spate of it, it is a nightmare.

"I just think 'why?', so much of this is household waste which can be taken to the tip with no charge. It is unbelievable.

"It certainly seems to have become worse in the last month.

"I don't know the answer. It is irresponsible people and it is disgusting really. Why must these people inconvenience everyone else. And we have to come and pick it up and of course there is a cost involved in that.

"There is a possibility of putting cameras in areas where it is prolific. I believe Dorset Waste Partnership may be doing some trials across Dorset on that."

On Monday, Hurn parish councillor Ian Evens joined neighbours in Pitthouse Lane in clearing rubble and roof tiles which had been dumped in the middle of the road, blocking them in.

"The standard of fly-tippers is going down, at least they used to push it to the side of the road," he said.

"Our road is regularly used to dump stuff, as is the hard standing outside the sports centre. Christchurch council put a recycling centre there which was not popular with the parish council. We knew what would happen.

"It has got better since the recycling centre was removed, but things have got steadily worse in the last couple of months.

"If they are going to increase the charges at tips it will get even worse.

"There is a lot of building going on in Bournemouth and Poole and where is the nearest bit of countryside? Here."

Tod Sadler, managing director of Dorset Smokery in Hurn Court Lane, told the Daily Echo: "We planted an orchard of apple and cherry trees. I was looking for some mulch and I drove past them thinking 'I could put those on the apple trees'.

"I got back and told my colleague about them and we went up there.

"He took one look at them and said 'that's cannabis, they can't go on your trees'.

"So we thought we'd leave it there."

He said fly-tipping was a major issue in the area.

"There is loads of fly-tipping. The council is extremely slow in doing something about it. Whatever is fly-tipped just gets underneath the growth and then it's difficult to find.

"Then it attracts vermin - yes in the countryside we do get vermin - but they're drawn to the rubbish.

"I really don't know what's wrong with society that people would do this."

Much fly-tipping fits the more standard pattern of piles of waste dumped at night in rural areas, but urban areas are not immune to the blight.

In Bournemouth, residents have complained about a range of household waste dumped in alleyways.

Roman Loewen, owner of the Escape Rooms in the Triangle, said: "People leaving rubbish is particularly bad by our fire exit, on the backside of the building.

"I have to call a company to get rid of the rubbish, but that is expensive."

The problem, he said, was exacerbated by drug users littering in the same area.

Mark Green, a resident in nearby Crescent Road, said waste was sometimes left by those moving home.

"What we have a problem with is that there is a number of rental properties around this area and as people move out the rubbish tends to stack up, items such as mattresses and fridges etc."

In Springbourne, Corporation Road has been identified as a hot spot. One resident, Bournemouth University student Marcia Ventura, said: "The alleyway opposite my house is constantly filled with rubbish.

"I have to walk through it every day to get to my house. Now it may not be the longest alleyway in the world, but due to the rubbish - which normally covers both sides of it, it's horrendous.

"Sometimes at night, in the dark, the rubbish can look like a person. Particularly for a female student, it can get pretty scary - it is just overall not a very nice place to walk down.

"I don't know what can be done, as there is new rubbish everyday. I think we have probably had one of every household item found in the alleyway since September."

Dorset Waste Partnership, which deals with fly-tipping outside Bournemouth and Poole, said fly-tipping costs taxpayers around £110,000 a year.

In a statement the partnership said: "Like most counties, Dorset is subject to persistent fly-tipping and the number of incidences is on the increase, following a national trend.

"We understand there has been some concern from residents about how the recent introduction of charges at household recycling centres for certain items may affect fly-tipping levels.

"The data we received when considering these charges suggested there wouldn’t be a long-term significant impact on fly-tipping, but we appreciate there is a risk of a slight short-term increase in incidents.

"Nonetheless, while the savings achieved should outweigh the costs of dealing with the dumped waste, this approach will only work with increased vigilance and the enforcement of existing laws in regards to fly-tipping."

While fly-tipping is a criminal offence, the partnership has recently adopted legislation allowing it to issue fixed penalty notices with a £400 fine.

Fly-tipping can be reported to Dorset Waste Partnership at dorsetforyou.com/flytipping.