A COMMUNITY call has gone out to help catch fly-tippers who continue to dump waste at a popular pond.

A big clean-up of the pond at Downhill Sports Complex was completed by Sunderland City Council in August this year.

After reports of more tipping, council staff have been back for a third time and removed more waste.

Over the summer, motorbikes, a scooter, bicycles, wheelie-bins and a crossbow bolt were among items dredged from the pond during the clean-up.

Yesterday’s clean-up recovered shopping trollies, an inflatable swimming pool, a garden slide, and a child’s scooter among the waste.

The council is considering installing CCTV to help deter and even catch the culprits behind any further fly-tipping.

Councillor Paul Stewart, the authority’s cabinet secretary, said: “It’s very tiresome how there are people out there who think they can dump their rubbish and waste in the pond.

“There’s a minority of people who seem to be determined to spoil the habitat around the sports complex.

“Staff, who could have been employed on other duties, spent a lot of time and effort dredging the pond this summer.

“The pond was looking a lot better for the clean-up, and yet now staff have to go back because some people seem to think that it’s okay to dump and leave their waste in it. Well, it isn’t okay.

“The council is considering monitoring the pond with CCTV. I hope, too, that if anybody knows or has information about the people who continue dumping waste in the pond then come forward and we can look to taking action.”

People can report fly-tipping and litter to the council at Sunderland.gov.uk or on 0191-520-5550 or their local ward councillor.