Charity upset over fly-tipping rise on Manx coast

A charity has shared its frustration after a purported rise in fly-tipping along the Isle of Man's northern coastline.

Litter-picking group Beach Buddies said it is collecting a rising number of abandoned electrical goods, including televisions, computer screens and fridge-freezers.

Many of the items have been found dumped on beaches between the Point of Ayre and Ballaugh, alongside those abandoned at the charity's collection points.

Founder Bill Dale said disposing the appliances came at a cost to the organisation, and said he was at a loss as to "why anybody thinks this is OK".

Mr Dale said the north-west coast, particularly the Point of Ayre, had become a "hotspot" for dumping large, unwanted items.

The island's most northerly point sits on the edge of a nature reserve, home to a variety of wildlife, including many bird species.

Mr Dale said to avoid the cost of disposing of electrical goods, people were instead dumping them in some of the island's most beautiful landscapes.

He said: "People are thinking, I don't really want to pay £120 to get rid of this fridge-freezer, I'll just take it to the Point of Ayre in the dark one night and just chuck it out the back of a van and drive off."

"It's 100% wrong.!

Currently it costs £23 to dispose of a television, £14 for a computer screen, and £128 for a large fridge-freezer, at the Northern Civic Amenity Site.

But Mr Dale said there was a "very simple" solution.

He encouraged people to pay an upfront fee at the time of buying any new appliance, for its later "inevitable" disposal.

"There is no reason to dump it anywhere other than the amenity site" if this is done, he said.

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