Council investigators hope to track down a fly-tipper who dumped a huge mound of rubbish in woods near The Wrekin, blocking a right of way near Shropshire’s landmark hill.An outraged farmer took the registration number of the culprit’s pick-up truck after he saw the man off-loading household waste at the entrance to Hatch Lane. The pile of material left behind stands 3ft high and covers the whole width of the track.

It includes hair, shampoo bottles, cardboard, beer cans, wood, bricks, builder’s rubble, plastic barrels, plastic bags, newspaper, glass bottles, dog food cans, radio aerials, umbrellas and shoes.

Jim Roberts, 66, who farms further up the track at Huntington, saw the incident on his way home from a charity lunch on Sunday.

Mr Roberts, who has has just left Little Wenlock Parish Council after 40 years serving the community, said he had been appalled to see the man dumping such a large amount of material in broad daylight.

“There was a Ford Transit pick-up with its back up in the entrance to the bridleway,” he said.

“I did not think it safe to challenge the man but I took the vehicle’s registration number and phoned Telford & Wrekin Council.”

He added: “I’ve lived here all my life and the tipping problem has been getting much worse in recent years. I’ve seen beds, mattresses and even a complete kitchen dumped here, units, cooker, the lot.”

Mr Roberts said he had been disappointed on phoning the borough council’s environmental department to be told there was little that officials could do.

He said: “I will not let this rest. We are always encouraged to report fly-tippers and yet the council will not do anything.”

Council spokesman David Morgan said: “The point is that if a fly-tip is on private land the council does not have any powers to prosecute. The landowner has to take action.

“We do record and investigate all complaints and officers intend to do so in this case.”

Mr Morgan added: “Our footpaths officer will be looking at this and will take action to clear it up as a right of way has been blocked.”

He added that police and the council worked to investigate all such incidents and urged people to continue letting the authorities know of any tipping.