Bradford Moor Park has been used again as a dumping ground by fly-tippers.
Usually, it is stale bread and mouldy chapattis that is ditched, but this time it is large household goods.
A sofa has been spotted in the lake of Bradford Moor Park by residents, with a small fridge, a child’s buggy, and an ironing board left on the side of a pavement.
The sofa is said to have been dumped overnight. The leader of the Friends of Bradford Moor Park, Naz Kosar, says she knows who is responsible for the fly-tipping and Bradford Council’s enforcement team have been informed and are investigating the matter.
Ms Kosar said: “Friends of Bradford Moor Park have been informed about which resident has put the sofa in the pond and the local enforcement team have been notified and are looking into the matter.
“Friends of Bradford Moor Park will continue to try and make the park a more pleasant and safe experience for all ages.
“Dumping rubbish is an offence and will be reported at all times. The resident that thought it was a good idea to dump the sofa in the pond will hopefully be caught soon.”
Friends of Bradford Moor Park have worked tirelessly over the past two years to restore the park to its former glory. Last November, the park revealed its new toddler play area and outdoor gym area in a grand opening and boats returned to the lake for the first time in three decades.
During the course of the pandemic, local volunteers and members from the Yorkshire Magneteers group took to the pond armed with waders and rubbish sacks to manually clean the pond and turn back time after years of neglect.
Over the course of several clean-up sessions, volunteers filled hundreds of bin bags and pulled up all sorts of things, including an old rifle, a knife, a sword, from the pond.
One resident from the Friends of Bradford Moor Group Facebook page, said: “The sofa first started off in a garden opposite the park. The next day it was outside the park, I thought the council moved it but obviously not.”
Another added: “[It] breaks my heart after all the hard work done by volunteers. There are people still throwing and dumping things anywhere, insha’Allah [they] will be caught.”
Fly-tipping is a crime, it is where people illegally dump waste onto the highways, footpaths, or adjacent land. The size of a fly-tip can range from one bag of waste to a whole lorry load.
Penalties for fly-tipping can include a Fixed Penalty Notice of £400, or an unlimited fine and up to five years in prison.
Bradford Council has been contacted for a comment.
