Bags of pigs' ears dumped in Radwell

Hundreds of pigs’ ears have been found dumped in a ditch in Newnham Road, Radwell, making it the second strange fly-tipping incident in North Herts in the last four months. 

A change from the usual fly-tipped mattresses, white goods and furniture, over 60 heavy duty orange-netted bags of pigs’ ears were found dumped near to the A507 junction and border of North Herts with Central Bedfordshire. A bizarre and illegal way of getting rid of them! In September last year, hundreds of kilograms of frozen chicken pieces were found on the side of the road in the village of Offley – although the incidents are not necessarily thought to be connected.

Jeanette Thompson, Legal and Community Service Director, said: “We treat fly-tipping very seriously, and not only is it disgusting to see, but animal body parts will create a horrific smell and attract vermin.

“This looks like another commercial case of fly-tipping, with pigs’ ears commonly used as a natural dog treat. What the offender might not have realised, is that the inside of the ears are tattooed, quite literally to help identify livestock. So we are working with the National Farmers' Union of England and Wales (NFU) and other authorities and have a good chance of tracing the history. 

“If you have any information which may assist us in our enquiries, including any dashcam footage, please contact the council immediately.”

The pigs’ ears were found on 4 January, but some of the bags might have been there before 31 December.

Please report any information about fly-tipping to 01462 474000 or contact us online.

We urge local residents and businesses to use registered waste disposal operators – otherwise you could also be liable. The best way to stop organised fly-tipping is to follow the SCRAP code. You can find out if someone is registered to carry waste by searching the Environmental Agency’s Register.