Brazen fly-tippers have been accused of “community vandalism” after leaving piles of rubble behind a Renfrew store.

Pictures have emerged of broken slabs, dirt and other litter at the back of the Company Shop at Blythswood Retail Park.

Councillor Jamie McGuire, a rep for Renfrew North and Braehead, has waged war on illegal dumpers – expressing his disbelief at the “audacity” of their behaviour.

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He said: “I came across the fly-tipping on Saturday morning after a constituent at my surgery mentioned it.

“I could not believe that someone had the audacity to leave that mess on our streets.

“When I posted the images on local community pages there was outrage – no wonder.

“The most distressing part of the situation is that it’s blocking the path onto Inchinnan road, meaning there’s a severe health and safety issue.

“If the current tip does not get removed immediately then someone could get seriously hurt.

“Fly-tipping and littering of any sort is totally unacceptable – it brings our community down.

“We need harsher penalties for those who are involved in community vandalism.

“The perpetrators of this crime must face severe fines.

“I have contacted the council to clear up this mess as a matter of urgency. Once I hear word back, I will inform my constituents.”

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Renfrewshire Council said it is the responsibility of the landowner to have the rubbish removed, but added that it will ask them to do so.

The local authority also confirmed it will work with them to try to identify the culprits.

A spokesperson said: “We have sent community wardens out to assess the extent of the fly-tipping and its exact location.

“The business park and the surrounding roads are privately owned.

“In these circumstances it’s up to the landowner to arrange to have the fly-tipping removed and we will ask them to do so.

“The landowner employs a security firm which has CCTV in the area. We will work with them to try to identify who is responsible.

“There is no excuse for fly-tipping. It is illegal, unsightly and damages the environment. Local council taxpayers and businesses also have to foot the bill for cleaning it up.

“We encourage residents to report fly tipping to us and provide us with any evidence they have about who is responsible. We will then do everything we can to make sure they are held to account.

“We are working hard to improve our local environment in Renfrewshire so let’s work together to stop fly-tipping.”

If someone is caught fly-tipping, they could face a fixed penalty notice of £200 or, if taken to court, a fine of up to £40,000 or even imprisonment.