Fly-tippers have been criticised for dumping bulky waste in back lanes during the coronavirus crisis.
Pieces of old furniture, including a sofa and mattress, were found in a Wallsend area by North Tyneside Council staff.
And the authority has also received reports of fly-tipping in Holystone, North Shields and Shiremoor.
The council's Household Waste Recycling Centre in North Shields has had to close due to coronavirus restrictions, and its bulky collection service is also suspended.
But it is now urging people not to dump their bulky waste in public areas and hold on to the rubbish until services resume.
In a message on its Facebook page, the council said: "We know that the Household Waste Recycling Centre (the tip) is closed and our bulky collection service is suspended for now but we are in the middle of a national emergency and this is just not cool.
"Please stop dumping rubbish like this. Our team then have to attend, making an unnecessary journey and increasing contamination risk, not just to themselves.
"Please just keep hold of it until services return to normal and help us minimise the risk to the teams providing vital services out on your streets, and the wider public they might encounter."
Residents are asked to report any fly-tipping they see on this website.
