ANGRY residents have called for action to be taken at a derelict former school they say has become a flytipping hotspot.

Villagers in Gainford, County Durham, have labelled the old St Peter’s School a “dump” after complaining it is an easy target for flytippers.

The four-storey Victorian building was partially demolished following a suspicious fire in March last year.

And residents, along with Gainford and Langdon Parish Council expressed concerns months later over the lack of action being taken by owners, Ruttle Plant, to develop the site which they labelled an “eyesore”.

John Lewis, 62, said: “The site is already a mess after the fire, and the owners have done little to soften that. People visiting the village must think it’s a real dump. But now that flytippers have decided it’s a good spot to use, it will only get worse unless action is taken.

“Unfortunately, it’s an ideal flytip prospect. It’s easy to reach, a good road for your getaway, out of sight of any nearby neighbours and you can back your vehicle in, offload, and be gone in minutes.”

“The site owners need to put up hoardings to block it off, and the county [council] should take its responsibilities seriously.”

Several other residents took to Facebook to share their frustrations with one user saying: “It’s so sad. It’s a worse eyesore now.”

The school site has been empty for almost 20 years.

It was built in 1899 initially as an orphanage and then became a residential school for about 100 pupils but closed in 1983. In 1986 it became a nursing home but shut in 1998 and has not been used since.

The red brick building has since become rundown and suffered from vandalism, leading to calls from villagers for action to redevelop the site.

However, in recent years, Durham County Council has extended the village’s conservation area to include the site, which upset locals who wanted to see the building pulled down.

The community has repeatedly called for it to be used as accommodation for older people, but despite such a scheme receiving planning consent it failed to come to fruition.

In 2015, plans were approved to demolish part of the building, turn other parts into apartments and build new houses on the site.

Martin Clark, clerk for Gainford and Langton Parish Council, said the council “will monitor the situation” while Durham County Council has also confirmed it is investigating.

Ian Hoult, neighbourhood protection officer for Durham County Council, said: “We are aware of the concerns of local residents and are monitoring the property.

“Since the fire last March, our building control officers have visited the site on a number of occasions and carried out inspections.

“We are in the process of investigating the issue of waste left around the site, and will work with the land owner to address these issues.”

Ruttle Plant’s group commercial manager, Barry Young, said: “Obviously, we will take steps to get it cleared up but we would like to think the police are doing their part to monitor it and take actions against those that are seen to be flytipping.”