THIS is the mess left by flytippers at a Cowley recycling spot over the Bank Holiday.

They dumped the rubbish – including six dirty mattresses – at the recycling bins at the Oxford Retail Park in Ambassador Way, Cowley.

Dozens of other bin bags were also discarded, many of which had split, leaving cans, bottles, paper and plastic to blow in the wind.

A resident, who did not want to be named, took the photographs on Bank Holiday Monday. They described the scene as “appalling”.

Chairman of Blackbird Leys Parish Council Gordon Roper said: “People don’t seem to get the message that they should not dump rubbish at a shopping centre.

“This has been going on for the past two or three years. It is an eyesore and no-one wants to drive in and see a dump at the side of the road. The council is working hard to clear it up and people still keep dumping it there.

“It is always bad on Sunday afternoon and after the Bank Holiday. We need people to stop flytipping and dispose of their waste responsibly.”

In 2006 the site was revealed as the most flytipped road in the city, with 122 incidents of illegal dumping over a five-month period.

Earlier this year, Oxford City Council revealed it had bought a £15,000 CCTV camera to catch flytippers in the act at city hotspots.

Recordings would be used in prosecutions against flytippers.

The council empties the bins every day and is discussing moving the bins with Tesco, which owns a large part of the retail park.

The council has the power to prosecute anyone caught flytipping. It also offers a free bulky waste collection service to homes to dispose of large items, including mattresses.

City council spokesman Louisa Dean said the rubbish in the photograph had been cleared.

She added: “The site at Ambassador Way is cleared at least once every day. On normal working days the area can be cleared twice.”

For more information about the free bulky waste collections, call 01865 252900.