'˜Shame on all the fly-tippers'

Fly-tippers have been dumping bags of rubbish at the iconic Batley Bats Monument.
Rubbish strewn around the base of the Batley Bats monument.Rubbish strewn around the base of the Batley Bats monument.
Rubbish strewn around the base of the Batley Bats monument.

The landmark at the junction of Bradford Road and Hick Lane has been blighted by sacks of refuse scattered around the structure over the last few weeks.

Fly-tippers have also thrown rubbish in parts of Station Road.

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Councillor Gwen Lowe, who has worked hard with volunteers to brighten up the nearby railway station, said: “People just don’t give a damn anymore. They have no respect. Shame on them.

“We’ve passed it everyday for the last few weeks. It’s doing my head in. It really, really is. There’s no excuse for this mess.”

Coun Lowe (Lab, Batley West) believed people in passing vehicles were responsible for tipping the waste. She said: “Just drive a couple more miles down to the tip. I would like whoever decided they can just dump stuff to come and tell me why they’ve done it.”

The Bats Monument was placed in 1995 and serves as a gateway to the town for people coming from the railway station. It was designed by Rory McNally and Chloe Cookson to reflect the town’s historic textile industry.

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Hanging Heaton resident Simon Fairfield showed the Batley and Birstall News images on Google Street View of the monument flanked by refuse.

He said: “I think it is utterly disgraceful to fly-tip anywhere, but to fly-tip at such an iconic location such as the Batley Bats statue and on the main junction into Batley, which is passed by thousands on a daily basis, just takes the biscuit.

“Whoever is fly-tipping has some nerve to do it there.”

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