Fly tippers thought to be responsible for hedgerow covered in bras

A hedgerow near Tor Woods in Wells, Somerset, appeared to have bloomed a rare crop of hardy perennial undergarments. They were spotted, alongside other items of clothing by a walker who was out on Saturday afternoon. Suzanne Norbury said: “We’d just parked up in the layby, and I was surprised to see about 10 bras dumped in the hedge. There was other fly tipping, but the bras were just odd.

“They were all over the hedge. I suspect they either fell off a recycling lorry or someone chucked them there after finding the tip shut.” A spokeswoman for the district council said: “Mendip District Council’s enforcement team are aware of the fly tipping near Tor Woods in Wells and are going out to survey the area and get the rubbish cleared. We are working alongside our partners to identify those individuals who are dumping the rubbish and would appeal to the public to help us by reporting vehicles that are seen fly-tipping.”



A spokesman for Somerset Waste Partnership added: “This seems unusual for fly-tipping, much of which is by rogue businesses, from builders leaving rubble to garages dumping tyres, that cut their waste costs by forcing all council tax payers to meet the bill for clear-up. To help fight that, we now have 10 recycling sites that have a chargeable service taking commercial waste from businesses and tradespeople.

“It would be surprising if a resident was to blame since all recycling sites are open on Saturdays and any householder can put clothes, including bras, out for collection in a carrier bag on top of their kerbside containers so they can be recycled. Indeed, bras are much in demand; Oxfam and other charities have made a point of asking for donations of bras, which can be among clothes sold in Africa as part of anti-poverty programmes.” The maximum penalty for fly tipping is a fine of £50,000 and/or imprisonment.