AS recycling "bring sites" close after 45 years across Craven, residents and businesses are warned about being tempted to fly tip.

Only six sites remain - at Grasmere Close car park, High Bentham, Main Street car park, Embsay, Glusburn Institute car park, Glusburn, Whitefriars car park, Settle, Community Centre car park, Ingleton, and Coach Street car park, Skipton.

The move comes after consultation revealed that more than 95 per cent of people who responded said they would use alternative recycling services such as the household recycling services, other recycling centres, or charity shops.

Wyn Ashton, Craven's environmental services and housing manager, said: “We have given residents and businesses plenty of notice that these sites were being removed and we are now monitoring the sites closely to ensure that they are not being used for fly-tipping.

“It's a serious criminal offence which can lead to imprisonment or fines of up to £50,000. There are a number of alternatives for residents and businesses to dispose of their waste in Craven. ”

The council had been operating "bring site" recycling facilities throughout the district since 1970, many of which were located in car parks and at licensed premises and campsites.

Businesses who used the "bring sites" could take up a trade waste collection with Craven District Council which offered chargeable fortnightly collections of mixed recycling - glass/cans/plastics - and paper/cardboard.

Owners of sites where the containers were located on private land were notified by letter that they were scheduled for removal.

Residents were also informed of the closure of "bring sites" with stickers being placed on containers due to be removed.

For more details of trade waste collections or any other queries, please contact the council’s Waste Management team at wastemanagement@cravendc.gov.uk, or on 01756 706429.

Anyone with any information about fly-tipping in Craven can report it by calling 01756 706255 or by filling in this online form: http://www.cravendc.gov.uk/article/1742/Report-fly-tipping.