A FARMER from Lytchett Minster has hit out after discovering a pile of asbestos sheets dumped on an area she says is notorious for flytipping.

Clare Lees, who lives nearby on Post Green Farm, said that they she was feeding the cows on the farm early on Monday when she noticed what she believes is around 30 sheets of the fibrous material.

She says that if somebody touched it, to move it from the gate it has been placed in front of, they could become seriously ill.

She said: "The person who dumped this should have had the appropriate protection including a suit, glasses, gloves and a mask over their mouth and nose.

"I've got a long correspondence about flytipping in this area including a few months ago when we had the flytipping of nine dead deer.

"Whenever we get flytipping, I ring the council. I told them that I was ringing the police as well because it's dangerous."

Mrs Lees said that a family friend died aged 35 after coming into contact with asbestos as a child and did not want another family to have to go through the same ordeal.

"I also rang British Telecom as they have an entrance which is blocked by the asbestos. I told the lady on the phone that it was dangerous because someone may move it without realising what it is."

She said that normally she would not contact the police as the public know that they have important work to do but this, she felt, was a matter of public health.

A spokesperson for Purbeck District Council said the council had been made aware of the incident and would be looking to see if there was anything in the dumped items that could lead to identification.

She added that Dorset Waste Partnership would be getting in contact with a specialist contractor to deal with the asbestos. She continued by saying that flytipping is purely a council matter and not an issue for Dorset Police to investigate.