FED–UP residents have urged the community to pull together and beat the flytippers who continue to dump hundreds of tonnes of rubbish throughout Thurrock.

It comes after a 150-metre pile, which included carpets and building materials, was dumped off StChad’sRoad, Tilbury, and set alight twice in the space of four days.

Horse riders are also angry about dumpings off the A13 in Orsett, which has seen a bridlepath that runs parallel to the road covered in broken bottles, tyres and human waste.

June Webb, 63, owns a stable on Mill Lane, Orsett, close to the site. She said: “If a bag suddenly caught in the wind and came out at a horse, it would spook them. It’s a miracle no one has been hurt yet.”

Tory councillor Rob Gledhill wants Thurrock Council to do more to educate people on how to report flytipping and ways to spot it when it’s happening.

Referencing the old English word for Thurrock – Turroc – which means “dung heap” in a field, he said: “I don’t want my council and where I live to be associated with a dumping ground.

“While it might have had this connotation centuries ago it just shouldn’t be like this now.”

Purfleet hit the headlines in November when a mile-long trail of rubbish was discovered on land at Cory’s Wharf.

In the past week firefighters spent almost 12 hours battling the Tilbury blaze on Tuesday morning, as well as spending eight hours at the site on Saturday.

Russ Freeman, watch manager at Grays fire station, said flytipping was a major issue in Thurrock and such events were a huge drain on their resources.

A council spokesman said it would work to find and prosecute those responsible.