A RESIDENTIAL fly-tipping incident is being investigated in Mid Devon.

The goods were deposited on Tiverton’s Barrington Street, and included a sofa, a bed frame, a bike rack and other items.

Mid Devon District Council, which is responsible for waste and recycling collection in the area, said it had received insights from residents after it issued a plea for information.

“We’ve had credible information come in from the public following our appeal and are now looking into a number of new lines of enquiry,” a spokesperson for the council said.

“We encourage members of the public with information relating to this or other fly-tips to contact us, anonymously if they wish, at 01884 255 255 or via our website.”

In response to the council’s plea for information, resident Simon Marshall said he had collected the metal as he offers a free scrap metal collection in the area.

He also said the other items had been removed later that morning.

However, the council will still be seeking to find out who left the items there, because fly-tipping carries punishments.

Councils can issue fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping, with Mid Devon stating its fines work on a sliding scale from a minimum of £400 to £1,000.

The council will also attempt to recover the costs spent on investigations, clean up and enforcement work.

“Where a fixed penalty notice (FPN) has been issued, the council will wait a further 14 days after the reminder letter was sent before legal action is taken,” its policy states.

“If the FPN is paid no court proceedings may take place. Some cases may not be appropriate for a fixed penalty notice and may proceed directly to prosecution.

“Convicted parties can be fined an unlimited amount or imprisoned for up to five years.”