READERS have voiced their despair after it was revealed that more than 70 tyres had been left in a lay-by at a Lake District beauty spot.

South Lakeland District Council appealed for witnesses to the incident, which happened at Bog Lane at Brathay, near Ambleside.

Schoolknott posted: “I just despair of people. I take it they are pretty local to know where this area is.”

Is it worth it said: “They don’t have to be local. It would be cost-effective to drive quite a distance to get rid of a load that size.

“I suggest as landfill becomes more expensive it is likely to happen more often. Unfortunately, it’s maybe time to have more police checking loads.”

Username deleted said: “Someone knows who had 70-plus tyres one day and gone the next. All it takes is a phone call to point the police in the right direction.”

Jack Dunn said: “I think there’s more than likely a quite innocent explanation here.

“It would seem to me that someone has been driving along and got a puncture.

“They’ve rung their mate up who owns a tyre fitting garage but forgot to mention what size tyre. So, instead of making 70-plus journeys, the garage man has just brought the whole lot and shoved them there for his mate to sort through.

“Once he’s finished, then the garage man will come back and pick up the rest. Dead simple.”

Lara 999 said: “There is a tyre flytipper who is a bit smarter than this between Grizebeck and Millom. He/she throws one out of the back of the truck every half mile or so on each side of the road and they stay there littering the verges for months.

“Just as bad but spreading the load.”

LA590 said: “Should be easy enough to trace who has done this, with minimal police work.

“I’d give them a massive fine, and make them do 1,000 hours of environmental clean-up work.”