BOSSES at the Altham Industrial Estate are furious that a huge pile of tyres has not been removed.

Hundreds of tyres have been dumped on land between Moorfield Drive and Moorfield Way but the Environment Agency has said it will not remove them until the fly-tippers are caught.

Business managers on the estate are frustrated by the agency’s response as they fear vandals could start fires there.

Andy Knowles, director of Rigby’s Executive Coaches, said: “I am still very annoyed about the whole problem. The pile has got so high it is sticking through the fence adjacent to our property.

“We have been complaining about fly-tippers for 18 months and nothing is being done.”

Managers have also set up 24-hour surveillance to monitor the illegal dumping and Mr Knowles said he has seen some of the fly-tippers in action thanks to the round-the-clock watch.

He said: “We’ve got the evidence and I am more than willing to give to the Environment Agency.”

Mr Knowles says he regularly cleans up around his business at the end of the working day, as do other managers.

He said: “The council has put up hanging baskets and keeps the approach tidy but because of the tyres it is not a pretty site compared to all the other industrial estates in Hyndburn.”

An officer from the Environment Agency was due to visit the site on Wednesday to carry out an investigation.

A spokeswoman said: “We would like to reassure the local community that action is being taken.

“Inquiries are ongoing to trace the vehicle believed to have been used to dump the tyres. Once the vehicle and the person responsible have been identified, we can remove them.

“In the event that we are unable to trace the person responsible we would make inquiries with the site operator to arrange for the tyres to be removed.”