Emily Norton

People living on a street in Gainsborough woke to find their doorsteps had been mistaken for a rubbish tip.

Piles of broken vacuum cleaner parts were dumped on the pavement in an alleyway behind Burton Street and Sandsfield Lane in the town, sparking a council appeal.

Anyone with information about the fly tipping incident is being asked to file a report online here.

West Lindsey District Council said in a statement: “You are legally responsible for disposing of your rubbish correctly. If your rubbish is illegally deposited you could be fined or prosecuted.

“If someone else disposes of your rubbish for you, make sure you have their name, address, vehicle description and vehicle registration number – this comes in a form of a waste transfer note.

“Any person that takes payment for removing your rubbish must be licensed. Always ask to see a copy of their licence.”

A post about the incident attracted more than 100 comments from local people about the brazen fly tipping.

Some laid the blame at the current rules and restrictions at local tips.

Paddy Ferry wrote: “Legally responsible for disposing of our rubbish, fine, you should be legally responsible for making sure the tips are open and accessible for people without having to make appointments.”

Samantha Wharton. agreed: “If you made it easier for people to dispose of rubbish there wouldn’t be so much fly tipping.”

“Please realise, someone could have died”, was the message from another Lincoln driver whose windscreen was smashed by stone throwers on a bridge over the city’s Eastern Bypass.

Alicia Sparks, 26, from Lincoln, was one of at least two drivers targeted by yobs who reportedly threw missiles from the Cherry Willingham footbridge.

Dashcam footage from Alicia’s car was shared with The Lincolnite, appearing to show at least two individuals on the bridge just before 8pm on June 21.

Rocks or stones can then be seen hurtling towards the car before her windscreen is shattered.

Luckily for Alicia, the window was smashed on the passenger side. The seat beside her was instantly showered with splinters of glass.

“I was aware of figures on the bridge, but my music was loud and it took me a few minutes to realise what had happened,” Alicia told The Lincolnite.

“I felt so stressed, and annoyed that I had been purposefully targeted, but thankful it wasn’t worse. Thank God it was the passenger side.

“What on earth was going through their heads? Someone could have died.”

As reported earlier, fellow bypass driver Shona Nelson ended up in hospital after her windscreen was shattered in the same spot.

Shona ended up in A&E with a suspected stroke due to the shock. “I was hyperventilating, and I couldn’t control my blood pressure either.

“I’m still in shock about what’s happened.”

People living in Cherry Willingham were outraged by the incident. “It’s pretty disgusting, and it’s a death waiting to happen”, one local resident told the BBC.

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Update at 3pm on Friday, June 25 – Lincolnshire Police said: “Officers were called about an incident where rocks have been thrown off the Hawthorn Road footbridge over the new A15 Eastern bypass on to a passing car.

“These rocks have hit the windscreen of the car and caused substantial damage. This occurred at around 6.30pm on the 22 June. Thankfully no one was injured.

“We would like to appeal for any information that could assist with this investigation. If you witnessed this, or you have any dash cam footage, please call us on 101 with incident reference 362 of June 22.

“We would also like to issue a warning: This is extremely dangerous and potentially deadly. In this case, there were no injuries, but there is clearly the potential to cause a collision. We believe children were responsible. Please speak to your children about the dangers and consequences of such reckless actions.”