A huge pile of waste dumped on a Merseyside road has prompted fury after bricks, soil and household waste were found among the 18 tonne heap.
Knowsley Council shared a picture of the tip, which was found on Kirkby's Alchemy Business Park, showing a huge mass of rubbish dumped at the edge of a tarmac road.
A statement published with the picture said an investigation was underway to find the culprits but warned the money spent disposing of the waste was money the cash-strapped council couldn't use for other services.
It read: "In all there’s more than 18 tonnes of soil, pipes, bags, garden waste, bricks, plastic, household materials, metal, floor covering as well as documents & paperwork which will hopefully lead to prosecution of those responsible.
"The council is now working with the Environment Agency to gather all the evidence before removing the waste.
"Fly-tipping is a crime that we take extremely seriously, as the cost of clearing up is public money not spent on other frontline services that we all value – those responsible should expect to face the consequences of their actions.
Residents commenting on the photo labelled it "disgusting", "disgraceful" and "vile".
One person said: "This is disgraceful - hope the council find and prosecute who dumped this lot of rubbish."
Another said: "Why not just take it to the tip if they got that far with it."
The council announced additional investment in mobile CCTV cameras to address fly tipping issues at its budget in March.
They hope it will help to identify and prosecute offenders, especially in places particularly badly hit by the issue.
