Burned out cars removed from Mayo beauty spot

CARS that were dumped at a Mayo beauty spot, which is popular with walkers, have been removed.

Mayo County Council's environment enforcement team arranged the clean-up at the booster station outside Castlebar today, with burned out, dumped cars removed from the scene.

In a tweet confirming the clean-up operation, the council advised that there are six authorised treatment facilities in Mayo where you can recycle your car free of charge.

The issue of dumping at the booster station and in other areas around Castlebar, including the Pontoon Road and Breaffy, was raised by Councillor Michael Kilcoyne at yesterday's (Monday) meeting of the county council.

“It is scandalous what is going on,” he said, and it has to be stopped, and offenders brought before the courts.

On the question of using CCTV to make detections, Councillor Gerry Coyle asked if there was an issue with data protection.

Dumping is a county-wide issue, said Councillor Damien Ryan, and they needed to 'up the ante'.

Director of services John Condon said no words of his could condemn those responsible strongly enough.

The council had successfully used CCTV in prosecutions in the past but a problem has arisen about people's rights under GDPR.

Discussions are taking place to agree a protocol to allow CCTV for prosecutions and as a deterrent.

Cameras, he added, were only one element in tackling this issue. There must be people who see these acts of illegal dumping and he appealed for them to come forward in confidence to the council.