A pile of commercial waste dumped on a section of the Ridgeway near Swindon has been removed by the council.

Last month, ice cream freezers and other large retail fittings were spotted between the hedges on the National Trail.

They were removed by Swindon Borough Council on 5 August and properly disposed of.

(Image: Russell Holland/Michael Ward)

Gary Sumner, councillor for Ridgeway, said: “It’s just disgusting that someone is obviously clearing out a business, possibly paying someone to collect the rubbish and then they end up in the middle of beautiful countryside during the summer holidays.”

“A lot of people will come to the area and hike along the Ridgeway, and that’s not a good advertisement for our city.”

(Image: Russell Holland/Michael Ward)

A council spokesman said the waste had been taken to the household waste recycling centre at Cheney Manor Industrial Estate.

There it would have been disposed of together with other freezers and refrigerators that were brought directly there.

The Swindon Borough Council website states: “Illegal dumping is not only a criminal offence, it also blights our environment and poses a danger to local wildlife.”

“In addition, tackling illegal dumping is extremely costly. On average, we spend over £200,000 a year collecting and tackling illegal dumping, diverting much-needed resources from other priority areas.”