DULOCH Tesco's recycling point is a fly-tipping hotspot and is set to be monitored by Fife Council over Christmas.

It's been identified as one of the busiest in Fife and officers will be watching the site for any illegal dumping this festive season.

They will also arrange for bins to be emptied if necessary.

Mountains of rubbish has piled up at the Dunfermline site over the holidays in recent years and with recycling centres not open and recycling points not being served on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and January 2, the council is urging residents to recycle responsibly.

Anyone found leaving waste or recycling outside of bins can lead to fines of £200.

Fines for fly-tipping can increase to as much as £40,000.

Cllr Ross Vettraino, convenor of the environment, protective services and community safety committee, said: "Christmas is a busy time and we all know that it can be hard to find time to carry out certain tasks. Fifers must remember that everyone is responsible for their own waste and should dispose of their rubbish responsibly, either in their kerbside bins or at a recycling point or centre.

"If your local recycling point is full, please take your recycling to your next nearest point or store it in your car or at home until the bins are emptied. Please don’t leave any recycling on the ground as this means council employees can’t access recycling bins without manually moving all the material.

“Unfortunately, an issue, particularly at this time of year, is the misuse of recycling centres and points. Previously, there has been illegal dumping at the gates of recycling centres after the second day of public holiday festive closures. In addition to taking action to ensure that the sites are kept clear, the council will adopt a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to any such illegal activity and will take steps to identify those doing so.”

Due to social distancing requirements, an online booking system is in place for residents to secure a slot at a local recycling centre on dates excluding December 25/26 and January 1/2.

To do so, visit: www.fife.gov.uk/recyclingcentres

Fly-tipping can also be reported online: www.fife.gov.uk/flytipping