COUNCIL officers are trying to find out who dumped a load of waste cardboard and other items along a country road.

Residents of Acaster Malbis alerted the authorities to the eyesore near Holy Trinity Church, Acaster Lane, between their village and Bishopthorpe.

City ward councillor John Galvin said: “I am utterly appalled at this kind of action which can only described as vandalism of the worst kind. Earlier this week my wife and I were standing on this very spot, appreciating the magnificent display of snowdrops in the Church Burial Ground.

"I am hoping there might just be a possibility of being able to identify the culprit from rubbish that has been dumped and I hope in that event the culprit will face the maximum penalty.

"This kind of activity is a scourge on our country side which cost the City Council a great deal of Council Tax Payers money to clear up. We have to pursue every avenue to stop this”.

The fly tipping is believed to have taken place on Thursday, as it was spotted by a villager late that evening as she returned to her home from York that evening.

Gary Taylor, chairman of Acaster Parish Council, said: “I have received a number of phone calls from concerned residents who were all disgusted at this kind of anti-social activity.”

He said a council officer had inspected the rubbish and promised it would be removed. The police had also been contacted.

Cllr Galvin said: "This kind of activity is a scourge on our country side which costs the city council a great deal of council taxpayers' money to clear up. We have to pursue every avenue to stop this”.

Both City of York Council and Selby District Council track down fly tippers and prosecute them.

In 2015/16 when there were 1,223 case of flytipping in the city council's area, York magistrates ordered one fly tipper of asbestos sheeting to pay £1,164.35 in a fine, court costs and statutory surcharge and an elderly woman with mobility problems had to walk to hospital because building waste had been dumped in front of her and her husband's York garage.