CITY of York Council has responded to reports of heavy traffic at the city's tips last weekend - urging people only to go to the dump "if necessary".

Police and councillors raised concerns at the weekend over the number of people visiting the tips at Hazel Court and Towthorpe.

Officers warned they were seeing continued issues with other businesses obstructed by queuing traffic and people making non essential journeys during lockdown.

Cllr Fiona Fitzpatrick called for clear guidance on whether people can use the tip. Cllr Paul Doughty said there were long queues outside Towthorpe tip and urged people to make essential trips only.

Cllr Paula Widdowson, executive member for the environment, said: “Since the start of the pandemic we have introduced further safety measures on sites to ensure they are safe for both residents and staff.

"We are encouraging people to only visit sites if necessary and to visit at quieter times of the day where possible. This helps to ensure social distancing guidelines can be followed and also reduces the traffic impact from queuing in the surrounding areas.”