COUNCIL officials are trying to trace the people who dumped hundreds of tyres on rural roads.

Workers from Hartlepool Borough Council picked up some 300 tyres in the space of just five days.

The tyres were found at regular intervals lying on the roadside or in undergrowth, suggesting that they were thrown intermittently from the same vehicle.

Most of the tyres were found on roads close to the A19, near the villages of Elwick and Dalton Piercy.

Garry Jones, the Council’s team leader for operations, grounds maintenance, said: “Our cleansing teams just kept on bringing in the tyres and the sheer scale of the dumping has shocked us all.

“Cleaning up any fly-tipped waste diverts staff away from more beneficial tasks and also costs the Council money, and when the dumping is on this scale the impact is significant. In this case, we estimate that the cost of collecting and disposing of the tyres will be around £6,400.

“Another major concern is the safety of our staff as they work on the roadside to pick up the dumped tyres and remove them for disposal.

“Dumping is also a major blight on the environment and ruins people’s enjoyment of the countryside.”

Anyone with information can call the council on 01429-523333 or Cleveland Police on 101.