Historic beauty spot becomes dumping ground for 400 tonnes of rubbish as fly-tippers litter it with abandoned vehicles, fridges, tyres, and mattresses

A historic beauty spot has been blighted after fly-tippers dumped hundreds of tons of rubbish including abandoned vehicles and fridges.The Hampshire field has seen the waste accumulate over several years which has now been dubbed a 'desecrated' wasteland for unwanted household items and litter.The detritus, estimated by residents to weigh as much as 400 tons, stretches across a large area of land near the historic village of Bramley.But authorities recently tasked with clearing the dump have only cleared some of the rubbish, sparking fresh calls for action from angry residents.The tip stretches across a floodplain beside Bow Brook, a small river, with evidence of repeated fires and burned waste visible.Heaps of rubbish have been left in broad daylight as well as being concealed beneath brambles, hedgerows and vegetation.Among the waste is dumped fridges, mattresses, vehicle parts, tyres, children's toys, household goods, abandoned trailers, evidence of previous fires and a smashed-up van.A nearby resident, Richard Trower, said the situation has become increasingly frustrating.Standing amid piles of waste, he described the site as being like 'measles on the landscape'. A historic beauty spot has been blighted after fly-tippers dumped hundreds of tonnes of rubbish including abandoned vehicles and fridges The waste, estimated by residents to weigh as much as 400 tonnes, stretches across a large area of land near the historic village of Bramley and includes abandoned vehicles Large items of household waste including bed frames and mattresses are among the waste - some of which has been burnedHe said: 'This was just two fields and a floodplain when we moved here. You can see how it's been desecrated.'Mr Trower and his wife have lived in the area since 1983 and say they have watched conditions deteriorate over the decades.He said: 'We have been very patient as residents. We've contacted MPs, government ministers, the Environment Agency, the police, the council and many others over the years.'We've tried very hard as individual citizens and neighbours.'Residents say many of the site's issues can be traced back to the early 2000s, when the land was divided into dozens of smaller plots and sold off.Mr Trower said: 'Somebody decided to sell them in quarter-acre plots on eBay.'According to residents, around 48 separate plots were created, resulting in dozens of different owners.Mr Trower believes the fragmented ownership has made it difficult to resolve the site's long-running problems. Residents say many of the site's issues can be traced back to the early 2000s, when the land was divided into dozens of smaller plots and sold off There is evidence of multiple fires at the site, with the fire brigade called out three times last month Concerns have been raised locally about the long-term environmental impact of waste being left on a functional floodplain The site is currently the subject of a police appeal and an active investigation by Basingstoke and Deane Borough CouncilMr Trower said abandoned vehicles had become such a regular sight that residents were forced to track whether they were taxed and insured.Residents said they have repeatedly reported the vehicles and monitored their status, with some only being removed after insurance and tax expired.Mr Trower said: 'It took 15 to 20 months to get rid of them.'He estimates there could be hundreds of tons of waste at the location.He added: 'I've told the Environment Agency that there's at least 300 to 400 tonnes of rubbish here.'Mr Trower said firefighters have been called to the site numerous times and described one incident during a period of hot weather when flames could be seen above the treeline.He also claimed some of the fires have involved waste such as tyres, creating toxic black smoke.He said: 'It looked like an aircraft had crashed.'The site's location on a floodplain has also fuelled environmental concerns, as residents fear waste is being carried into Bow Brook during periods of flooding, ultimately affecting larger watercourses downstream.Mr Trower said Bow Brook regularly backs up during periods of heavy rainfall, causing water to spread.Another resident claimed debris had previously been carried towards the brook and surrounding watercourses.Concerns have been raised locally about the long-term environmental impact of waste being left on a functional floodplain.One neighbour said residents feel they have been left to deal with the problem alone.They said: 'The affected residents feel somewhat abandoned by authorities and horrified that such known activity is allowed to continue in broad daylight.'The resident claimed concerns had been raised with authorities over a number of years.The environmental impact is another source of concern and Mr Trower said he fears local wildlife has been affected.He said: 'We get badgers, deer and foxes in the garden every single night. It's a beautiful environment. The sad thing environmentally is that I'm sure we used to have barn owls here. I haven't seen them for several years.'The site is currently the subject of a police appeal and an active investigation by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary said it was called to a fire at the site on September 18 along with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Service and that similar reports had been made previously.They appealed to any witnesses to contact 101.Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to three separate fires involving piles of waste at the site, on September 6 and twice on September 18.Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council said it is aware of the problems which are subject to an active investigation.