A dog walker has described a heap of rubbish he saw dumped by a canal as “absolutely disgusting”.

The pile of waste, which includes bags, bottles, and a shopping of trolley has been left by a dog bin next to the Grand Union Canal on the outskirts of Watford.

Tom Houghton, who was on his way to Cassiobury Park, has called for the rubbish to be cleared as a “priority”.

He said: “My aunt walks down their twice a week and had told me about it. When I saw it, I was like wow.

“It’s absolutely disgusting, there’s a bit of everything there – it’s gross and full of flies. I’ve never seen anything like it before and I don’t understand how it has got to that standard.”

Watford Observer: The dumped rubbish and waste. Image: Tom HoughtonThe dumped rubbish and waste. Image: Tom Houghton (Image: Tom Houghton)

Mr Houghton, who lives in Garston, said he is “frustrated” that people are willingly dumping waste seemingly without fear of repercussions.

However, he says if a dog bin is provided, the area should be checked and cleaned frequently.

The Canal and Rivers Trust, which is responsible for the upkeep of 2,000 miles of waterways, says it was “disappointed” to see the rubbish by the Grove Mill Lane bridge and described the behaviour of those responsible for fly-tipping as “selfish and lazy”.

Watford Observer: Where the dog bin and rubbish is located. Image: Google Street ViewWhere the dog bin and rubbish is located. Image: Google Street View (Image: Google Street View)

A trust spokesperson added: “We spend over £1 million of charity funding every year clearing litter and fly-tipping. We have 255 boater bin facilities serviced by contractors and 877 dog poo and towpath bins across our network. They are emptied on a frequency ranging from daily at busy sites to weekly for quieter locations.

“The operator which empties our dog poo bins is not authorised to clear fly-tipped waste, but they have reported this particular issue, which will be dealt with by the relevant contractor.

“Because of the size of our network we would encourage members of the public to assist us by reporting problems via our website or by calling 0303 040 4040.

“The trust regularly runs litter-picking events for volunteers who care about their local waterway. To get involved visit canalrivertrust.org.uk/volunteer”

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