It may be a year-round problem, but Christmas sees a concentration of fly-tipping incidents across the county, none more-so than in rural south Armagh.
The border area is a hotbed for the dumping of laundered fuel waste in their large plastic containers – as seen on the Monog Road in Crossmaglen (pictured below) just before Christmas.
But domestic incidents become just as prevalent at this time of year.
The latest incidents over the last few days have disgusted the local communities living in the targeted areas.
The Mountain Lodge Road, outside Darkley – one of the worst affected in the entire county – was once again on the hitlist.
Sinn Fein Councillor Brona Haughey highlighted the issue.
“Among the waste is animal carcasses, household furniture, insulation, tyres and numerous bin bags,” explained Councillor Haughey.
“The entire length of the roadside is full and it’s evident that past clean-ups have not been as thorough as they should have been.
“I will be calling on Council and the Environmental Agency to assess this road and the waste here to clean it properly and ensure that any environmental impact is made known and work done to reverse it.”
Elsewhere, in the Dromintee area of south Armagh, this was the scene which greeted residents there.
“Apparently those that destroy our beautiful area with waste and rubbish don’t get any time off over Christmas,” slammed Sinn Fein Councillor Mickey Larkin.
And just before Christmas, SDLP Councillor Pete Byrne called on the Council and NIEA to clear up three waste cubes “mindlessly” dumped at the side of the Monog road in Crossmaglen.
“The message of protecting our environment and keeping south Armagh clean is clearly lost on some people. I hold out hope that some day they’ll think of the consequences of their actions,” said Councillor Byrne.
Three waste cubes dumped on the Monog Road in Crossmaglen
