Angry residents have called in the Environment Agency in a bid to find those responsible for dumping large quantities of waste in the North Bank, Whittlesey.

One man has taken photos and forwarded them to the Environment Agency in the hope of tracking down the offender.

“I spotted the rubbish and it looks like irresponsible take away restaurant owners may have dumped it there,” he said.

He is hoping the EA will be able to trace batch numbers attached to some of the packaging to find out who it belonged to.

“I hope they get caught and shut down,” he said.

“I just wonder what else went in and has sunk to the bottom.”

One woman resident said: “Basically it is just laziness and thoughtlessness.”

Another resident said: “This has made me really angry.

“I get wound up enough by people dropping litter and thinking what that can do to wildlife, but this kind of dangerous and harmful fly tipping is in a whole different league.”

The man who spotted the rubbish said he had an interest in fishing and also runs a catering business “so I could not just ride by.”

Fenland District Council meanwhile revealed that for the second time in eight days the same woman has been convicted of fly tipping.

Angela Ashton, of Huntingdon, pleaded guilty to the second offence at Peterborough magistrates’ court last week.

She admitted depositing a washing machine in Doddington Road, Benwick, on June 18. But she said she had intended it to be collected by a scrap dealer

Accepting her guilty plea, magistrates ordered her to pay a total of £360 in fines and costs.

The previous week Ashton was found guilty of dumping a trailer-load of rubbish, including a tarpaulin, a plastic laundry basket and a number of boxes, in Dykemoor Road, Doddington, on March 8.

For that offence, she was ordered to pay nearly £1,500 in fines and costs.

Both prosecutions were brought by Fenland District Council under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act.

Councillor Peter Murphy, the council’s Cabinet member responsible for the environment, said: “Sentencing is, of course, a matter for the magistrates in each case.

“We continue to work closely with the police, other authorities, businesses and landowners to tackle the problem. We also rely heavily on the support of the public. “So once again we urge people to report any incidents to us, providing as much detail as they can about those responsible.”

Councillors were told last Thursday that in one month – October – they received 86 reports of fly tipping.

Cameras are being used to catch culprits and the council has identified two people thought to be responsible for fly tipping in Cross Drove, Gorefield. Both have been asked to attend an interview under caution.

And the council revealed that a business is being investigated for failing to provide evidence of having adequate waster provisions.

And another company has been reported for not putting commercial waste in the right receptacle.