COUNCIL chiefs launched a £4,000 clean-up operation after fly-tippers dumped six tonnes of waste which took three days to remove.

Town hall bosses have revealed the full extent of an incident in which land near homes in Tristan Close in Calshot was left buried beneath a carpet of rubbish.

As reported in the Daily Echo, the waste was discovered by a police community support officer at the end of March.

Photographs of the rubbish were posted online, with police urging people to “rat on a rat” by coming forward with information.

Speaking at the time ward councillor Alexis McEvoy said: “It’s very disappointing that some people think they have a right to despoil the New Forest.

“Fly-tippers may think it’s clever to dump their rubbish and save themselves some money but other council tax-payers have to pick up the bill.”

Now the district council has confirmed the scale of the incident, plus the “staggering” cost of clearing the site and disposing of the material.

A JCB digger was used to remove the rubbish, which included up to 50 tyres,13 fridges and two washing machines plus as televisions, pieces of wood and general household waste.

Colin Read, the council’s executive head of operations and and deputy chief executive, condemned the offenders.

He said: “Fly-tipping on this scale does not happen very often but when it does it is very disappointing. Not only does it cost Forest taxpayers a huge amount of money to clear and dispose of correctly it is also a blight on the very special area we live in.

Mr Read said householders needed to play their part in tackling the issue.

“All businesses and householders are responsible for checking that the company or individual who is offering to take their waste has a waste carrier’s licence,” he said.

Anyone with information about the Calshot incident or other cases of fly-tipping can call Hampshire police on 101 or contact the council on 023 8028 5000.