A DECAYING deer carcass was found in a recycling bin.

The dead animal – thought to have been killed on the road - was put into a cardboard bank and had to be removed by waste staff.

Staff said the deer was a young one, but it needed two people to move it.

It was thought to have been dead for a while and became infested with maggots.

Copeland Council has urged people to use recycling centres responsibly following the incident.

Copeland’s portfolio holder for waste, Cllr Steven Morgan, said: “As well as the upset to the resident who discovered the carcass, this irresponsible action costs Copeland tax payers dearly.

“We would ask people to only put appropriate recyclable materials in recycling banks.”

He urged people to check signs at recycling banks or visit copeland.gov.uk for more details.

The incident happened at a car park in Ravenglass.