Fly-tipping waste poses risk to pupils - school head

A school in West Sussex said it has waited weeks for a pile of rubbish left by fly-tippers to be cleared.

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, in Bognor Regis, reported waste being dumped in its car park on 29 March.

Arun District Council and West Sussex County Council said the clearance of fly-tipping was the responsibility of the school.

Head teacher Peter Edgington said: “You can’t rule out the possibility of there being asbestos in there. It is stuff that shouldn’t be around anyone – let alone young children.”

Uncertainty over who was responsible of the removal of the waste has meant the rubbish has remained on site for more than a month, the school said.

Mr Edgington said what had been dumped was largely a mixture of building materials.

“It’s bathroom and kitchen fittings, bicycle wheels, broken glass and food stuff, which we’re concerned attracts vermin,” he told BBC Radio Sussex.

The school teaches around 300 pupils aged between four and 11.

In a joint statement, Arun District Council and West Sussex County Council said the car park is used by the school.

"Unfortunately, it is the school’s responsibility to maintain it, and this includes the clearance of fly-tipping," they said.

“However, due to the confusion the school has experienced which may have led to delays in resolving the matter, we have offered to collect and dispose of the rubbish on this occasion.”

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