A SOFA, an umbrella, a plastic box and a toy pram are among the dozens of items dumped near the canal behind Offerton Lane in Worcester.

Warndon residents allege the mess, which was spotted on Sunday, February 18, has been caused by travellers who are located on a nearby site.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “There’s always been some rubbish in this area, but this is the worst I’ve seen it.

“The placement is too far for anyone to carry it all so it looks like it’s been thrown over he fence.

They added: “There is a travellers site along there.”

The Worcester News reported last week that rubbish was spilling out of a large wheelie bin and dumped around it, outside the Farmer’s Boy pub in Tolladine Road.

Following this, site owner Mohammed Altaf paid for subcontractors to clear the site.

Previously, in January piles of rubbish and unwanted goods were dumped in Warndon Lane, Worcester.

Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council say the mess is not their responsibility.

A Canal & River Trust spokesman said: "It’s so frustrating that someone has dumped this rubbish by the canal.

"The canal is a lovely green space and home to plenty of important wildlife, so for someone to fly-tip to this extent is heart-breaking. As a charity, we’re now having to divert time and money to clearing this mess up, when we could be spending it on improving the waterway.

"We just hope whoever did this is caught and prosecuted.”

Last month the council put out a warning to residents that people caught flytipping would be prosecuted.

A city council spokesman said: “Fly-tipping is a criminal act; people caught illegally dumping waste can be fined up to £50,000 or face five years in prison.

“We will investigate all incidents of fly-tipping and prosecute offenders, where sufficient evidence is available.”

According to the latest government figures, from 2016-17 there were over a million fly-tipping incidents throughout England.

This led to a total clearance cost of over £57.5 million but offenders were also fined a total of nearly £723,000.

If members of the public spot someone fly-tipping, Worcester City Council has urged them to take down as many relevant details as possible, including vehicle registrations.

To report incidents of fly-tipping visit worcester.gov.uk/report-it or call 01905 722233.