TWO councils are cracking down on "louts" who have "blighted a beauty spot" with hundreds of fly-tipped tyres on the Bradford/Calderdale border.

Local residents reported hundreds of tyres were fly-tipped this week on land off Nab Water Lane, Oxenhope, and CCTV cameras have been installed to catch the culprits.

"There must have been hundreds of fly-tipped tyres on the Bradford/Calderdale border," said a local Oxenhope resident.

"I saw Bradford Council take four wagon loads of tyres away and I saw a dozen vehicles and about 20 men on the Calderdale side.

In addition to fly-tipping, he said the fields around Nab Water Lane have had problems with anti-social behaviour from quad bike riders and 4x4 drivers, resulting in damage to farmers' gates and walking stiles.

"It's like bandit country because it's so out of the way," he said.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “The council was made aware of this and has taken action to remove the tyres.

“Because the location is rural there have been a number of fly-tipping incidents in the area.

“The council has installed CCTV there and if evidence has been captured, will take robust action against the offenders.

“We will share any intelligence we have on the matter with Calderdale Council and are working together to crack down on these louts.

“Bradford Council actively investigates fly-tipping and we regularly take enforcement action against offenders.

“Last year we investigated over 2,000 incidents, issued over 50 fly-tipping fixed penalty notices and seized five vehicles involved in environmental crime.”

Zohrah Zancudi, Calderdale Council’s Director of Public Services, said: “We are aware of this fly-tipping problem and our teams are working to support the clean-up operation.

“It’s so disappointing to see such an issue, particularly at such a beautiful location. We do all we can to tackle the problem and this involves working in partnership with neighbouring authorities. We are installing warning signage to discourage fly-tipping and investigating the use of CCTV cameras to catch the culprits.

“We understand the impact that fly-tipping can have on local communities and how this serious crime can blight beauty spots. We won’t hesitate to prosecute those responsible and work with the Environment Agency and the police to bring perpetrators of environmental crime to justice.

“We know most people respect our beautiful landscape, but we urge all residents to ensure they dispose of their waste responsibly. This includes making sure that any professionals hired to remove waste are registered waste carriers. Ask to see their licence before agreeing to hand over waste. If you don’t and it ends up fly-tipped, you could face a big fine."