Fly-tipping Sheffield: Disgust as River Loxley in Hillsborough becomes 'dumping ground'

Allee Dawes has expressed her disgust at the amount of waste which is being thrown from the bridge off Penistone Road,near the B&Q in Hillsborough, into the River Loxley.

She says it is getting worse and becoming not just a blot on the landscape but an environmental hazard posing a danger to the wildlife using the river.

“People are just using the river as a dumping ground and I’m really angry about it,” she said.

“I’ve reported it to the council before and occasionally it does get cleared up but more rubbish soon reappears and it’s been getting worse these last few months.

“The rubbish is getting so bad there that it is actually starting to make its way further up the river.

“I’ve lived in Hillsborough for 10 years and I’m proud of where I live but walking past this is really upsetting because of the damage it’s doing to the river and the wildlife which uses it.”

Ms Dawes believes more preventive measures are needed, like CCTV cameras to catch those responsible, or higher railings to stop people throwing rubbish off the bridge in the first place.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that a staggering 12,126 incidents of fly-tipping were recorded across Sheffield during 2020/21 – a rate of 20.6 cases per 1,000 people, which is above the England-wide average.

The Star has contacted Sheffield Council.