Warning over ‘bottling’ as council forced to repair land damage caused by excavation

Warning over ‘bottling’ as council forced to repair land damage caused by excavation

Digging up bottles from old rubbish dumps may be an unusual and interesting pastime, but it can also be a dangerous one.

The Council has issued a warning after a series of ‘bottling’ incidents around Peel Lane in Heywood, with people illegally digging into an old landfill site looking for old bottles.

Mark Widdup, Director of Economy and Environment at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “As well as exposing themselves to potentially harmful contaminants, some of the digging has been going on around public footpaths, creating dangerous large holes and numerous trip hazards, in addition to broken glass which was left behind. We want to warn anyone thinking of excavating an old landfill that it is illegal and dangerous.”

The council has had to fund the repair of the footpath and the filling of the holes that appeared.

Permission must be obtained, preferably in writing, from landowners before digging their land – and permission would never be given for a former landfill area.

Anyone who sees or suspects any illegal digging around landfill sites is asked to contact the council on 0300 303 8871.